Guardians Arise: The Awakening
by PitFTW
Summary: Sequel to GA. Seven years after Tabuu's Fall, a new evil arises. Friend turns against friend as the Guardians and Smashers struggle to defeat The Fallen, twisted Guardians from all across the ages. But how can they kill those already dead? The Nightmare of Tabuu has ended. The Awakening has begun.
1. Prologue

Prologue

**A/N: This is the sequel to "Guardians Arise!". I highly recommend reading that first before you dive in here. Most of the concepts can be confusing to new readers.**

**If you are new to the GA universe, welcome. If you are familiar with it, welcome back. Today I present you with the long-awaited sequel to Guardians Arise! This story shall focus on the Guardians that I very, very sadly did not give as much screen time to as others. But know that while this particular prologue does indeed focus a bit on "main" Guardians from the last story, future chapters will not be as such.**

**Without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

"Seven years have passed."

At the mere mention of those four words, Cimar could have sworn that the air around him grew colder. It had been seven years since the fall of Tabuu, the Subspace Lord and Prince of Darkness. Seven years had passed since he and his King said goodbye to their Smashers and fellow Guardians and returned to Hyrule.

Seven years had passed since Hyrule began rebuilding.

Seven years was an awfully long time, and yet he still had a long ways to go before he could enter the Sacred Realm. Cimar knew he was still in his mid-twenties, yet never before had he felt so old. From the moment he set foot upon Hylian soil for the first time since the Second Subspace War ended, he had seen with his own eyes how rapidly everything could change.

The war and the years that passed did little to affect his appearance. He was still tall and broad-shouldered, brunette locks well-kept and calloused hands from handling a sword all day. The muscles on his back were especially developed, for he had picked up archery not long after his return to Hyrule. His blue eyes were piercing and deep, reflecting the unbound wisdom he possessed. However, if one chose to gaze close enough, they would find a spark of laughter in there. It had only recently returned to him, however, as in the world of post-war Hyrule, there was little time for laughter.

There were numerous scars all over his body, where many a sword had pierced his armor. There were also many scorch marks and small cuts from his recent fiddling with magic and dueling with his King. Of course, the most obvious mark on his body was, in fact, the mark printed on the back of his right hand. As the Guardian of the former Princess Zelda of Hyrule, he had inherited the Triforce of Wisdom from her. Although neither of them were quite sure why, the Triforce had chosen to stay within him once he and Zelda were separated.

He missed her. There was no use denying it. The last time he saw her had been at the Temple of Time, when she married the Hero Link. She had been quite beautiful then, her face glowing with happiness as Cimar delivered her to the Hero. No words were spoken between them since then, but they did exchange countless letters between the years.

The time during which his soul and Zelda's inhabited the same body was rather peculiar, to say the least. Indeed, as Rinku had once said, there was quite possibly no one in the world that knew the Princess of Destiny better than himself. Even Link, her new husband, most likely did not know _everything_ about her. The bond they shared and communicated with during that time was something he treasured, but it had been shattered long ago.

At least, that's what Master Hand said.

It was this bond that had brought him here, to the newly rebuilt Royal Library. As of late, Cimar had been feeling… strange. There would be occasions where he would simply be sitting down to dine one second and the next thing he would become aware of, he would be waking up in a bed three days later. What was more, he had also been lately have bouts of nausea, not at all helped by the fact that his Triforce Hand was throbbing so harshly it hurt.

It was a nuisance, in fact, when it came to searching for a book. Every time he tried to choose one off the shelf before him, he would always be forced to drop it. He would then have to clutch his hand, biting back the pain until it faded, then pick up the thing again. It was a vicious cycle, one which he knew he could never win.

_Thunk!_

Cimar's pointed ears twitched slightly at the noise. He had been developing a migraine as well, after having to argue with the fools on the Royal Council- which thankfully did not include his King- against the use of chewing gum rather than cement to hold citizen houses together. Frowning in annoyance, he let out a low sigh.

"Rinku, I know it's you. If it's about that rematch, I'm going to have to decline," he turned around. "I have a serious mi-"

There was no one behind him.

The Royal Advisor gritted his teeth in annoyance. "Rinku, now is not the time to play games. I am quite irritated…"

No answer.

"Rinku? Do you hear me?" Cimar asked. "I'm not here to play games!"

Silence.

"… Rinku…? Your Highness? Are you there?"

The light pattering of footsteps answered him. A flash of something metallic caught the candlelight for a brief moment before it disappeared. Cimar's pointed ears twitched with every sound, his heart hammering in his chest as his hand clenched and unclenched. A faint heat spread through his sweaty palms as he readied Din's Fire.

The footsteps suddenly stopped somewhere off to his right. Cimar's breath caught in his throat as his eyes shifted in that direction. This was it. It was now or never. If he did not react quickly, he would be dead in seconds. Counting each and every beat of his racing heart, he whirled around and unleashed the Sacred Flame.

"DIN'S FIRE!"

A flash of silver clouded his vision. This was soon followed by a searing pain right across his palm. Before Cimar knew what was happening, he was crying out, clutching his hand as blood spurted from the deep cut across his palm. But if there was one thing the former Guardian of Zelda could be known for, it was keeping a clear head. Desperately fighting through the intense pain from the cut and the Triforce, he turned tail and dashed into the nearest set of bookshelves.

He could hear the sound of rushing wind as his attacker unfurled powerful wings and took off after him. With every step he took, he could clearly hear the sounds of his pursuer gaining on him. Summoning every bit of energy he had left, he whirled around and unleashed yet another Din's Fire…

Only to have it reflected back at him!

Cimar was thrown off his feet, the sacred flames licking his heels. A new cut opened up on his right cheek where his face had scraped against the floor. He rolled over on his back, watching in horror as his pursuer landed before him. A golden blade, covered in scarlet, gleamed menacingly in the uncertain light.

"Y-You…" Cimar stammered, his voice no louder than a whisper. "Y-You… you're supposed to be… dead…"

"I _am_ dead, boy," his attacker sneered. "I am dead and _alive_!" the voice Cimar knew him to possess in life was… different. There was a snide quality to it, an almost childish tone. Yet underneath all of that, he could feel a coldness that could only come right out of the tomb itself.

"I-I… I don't-"

"Don't believe, do you, Little Cimar?" the thing before him taunted. "Thank you're so knowledgeable? Well, how about I tell you about your little friend, hm? See, he may be King of Hyrule and all, but in the end, he's just like everyone else. He _cried_ when I was finishing him off, can you believe that? The guy with the Triforce of Courage! He _cried_!"

Anger roared through his veins. Rinku? Crying? There was no way. Summoning up everything he had, he found his voice.

"You lie!"

"Me? Lie? Well duh, of course I lied… about the part of finishing him off, at least. See, I think it'd be much better if I finish _you_ off first, then make you finish _him_ off, you know?" the creature nodded. "Yes, I do believe that is what I will do…"

Cimar spat at it. "I will not go down without a fight! And I would _never_ kill my King!"

"It's disgusting, you know," the creature remarked. "The way you two are oh so loyal to each other and stuff. I think I'm breaking out in hives just thinking about it." Cimar saw it shift slightly as it dragged something into the light. "You know, I'll be nice and let you two say your final goodbyes…"

Someone with golden hair and bloodstained clothing was thrown right next to Cimar. Dressed in garments of forest green and crowned with a simple gold circlet, Rinku looked every inch a King. But with his clothes and face splattered crimson, he looked little more than a soldier fresh from battle.

Cimar gasped. "No! My King!" he grabbed Rinku by the shoulder, shaking him fervently in an attempt to capture a response. "Rinku! Rinku please, answer me! Rinku!"

The former Guardian of Link coughed, slowly opening his eyes. Cimar let out a low sigh of relief as Rinku stirred. Such relief was soon replaced by anger and fear as their attacker raised his blade.

"… Any last words, Guardian of Zelda?"

Cimar bit his lip. Yes, he did have some last words. He couldn't use them before, since he would never abandon his fellow Guardian to this monster. But here was Rinku, and here he was. He glared defiantly at their attacker before he opened his mouth, allowing Ancient Hylian to flow forth.

"… Oh youth, guided by the servant of the goddess…"

A deep, rumbling sound came from their attacker. It was all too evident that he was laughing. Cimar continued, undeterred, knowing that if he did not complete the spell, all would be lost.

"Unite earth and sky, and bring light to the land…"

"Oh youth, show the two whirling sails the way to the Light Tower…" the voice was weak, strained so that it was little more than a whisper. Cimar looked to his King, an encouraging smile crossing his features as he continued to speak.

"And before you a path shall open…"

Their voices rose in pitch and volume as they sent this prayer to their goddesses, a biting wind surrounding them in a bubble. Their attacker, realizing what was happening, let out a cry of rage and charged. Cimar felt a rush of red hot magic flowing through him as his and Rinku's Triforces glowed, lifting their bodies into the air. As he saw worlds upon worlds rushing past him, he finished the final line.

"And a heavenly song you shall hear."

* * *

**Want to play a part in GA2? PM me...**

**Existing Guardians: If you wish to revamp your character in any way, please let me know. Remember that seven years have passed.**


	2. The Second Prophecy

The Second Prophecy

Pikana was happy.

It was hard not to be happy. For a Pikachu with frizzy blonde hair, dressed in a doll's hoodie and a rather adorable mini-skirt, she had it quite well. She was helping out the best she could to rebuild the homes and businesses that were lost over the hundred years Smashville was ruled by Tabuu. She was currently housed along with her dear love and former Smasher Pikachu in the West Wing of the newly rebuilt Smash Mansion.

And she had the two most adorable little brothers any girl-blessed-by-Arceus could have!

Of course, at this moment, Picho and Pichn weren't looking so adorable to her. They had the _gall_ to come into her room and scrawl kinky messages on her wall! And as if to add more insult to the insult, they had very _thoughtfully_ laid out certain leather items for her use as well.

Now here she was, on her way to brutally murder them.

"PICHOOOO! PICHN!" Pikana shouted as she yanked open the door to the kitchen. "YOU TWO GET OUT HERE RIGHT NOW AND EXPLAIN YOURSELVES!"

She caught her younger twin brothers red-handed in the act of putting itching powder into a large bowl, quite obviously meant for cake batter. Her brothers froze for just a moment, before Picho- who was holding the box of powder- dropped it into the bowl and lowered his eyes. Pichn, who was getting ready to stir, raised his large wooden spoon, as if ready to defend himself against his Pikachu sister's wrath.

There was little resemblance between Pikana and the two boys, especially now that the former had chosen to keep her blessing by Arceus and remain in her Pikachu form. The twins- with their jet black locks and almond shaped eyes- were identical in every way. In fact, the only way to tell either of them apart was that Pichn wore a single blue earing on his left ear.

Pikana scowled at them, her little hands on her hips. "Well?"

Pichn was first to speak. "Uhh… H-Hey, sis! We're just being nice and sweet and awesome as usual!" he dipped his spoon into the batter and tentatively began mixing. "Mm, mm, good! I bet Kirby would like a spot of this, wouldn't he, Picho?"

The Guardian of Ness' brow wrinkled at his twin's remark. "I guess… but if he eats the itching powder, what happens? Would that make his entire insides itchy or just his tongue?"

"I dunno… can a giant black hole thing get itchy?"

"We should totally try that!"

"Ahem!" Pikana huffed indignantly. "Don't you two have something to say?"

The boys paused in their banter and stared at their sister, regarding her for a few moments. Pikana's spirits rose slightly as they did this, half hoping that they would finally break down and apologize. Such hopes were dashed, not surprisingly, when they attempted the other course.

"But… but Sister!" Pichn cried. "We didn't know what we were doing when we put those things in your rooms!"

"Honest!" Picho added. "Besides, even if we did, we had no idea that you would take it this way!"

"We thought they were-"

"Toys, and we assumed-"

"You would enjoy them! And then we thought-"

"What if she doesn't like them? But that's-"

"Okay because you're our sister and-"

"You love us!"

The way the two were able to finish each other's thoughts in a moment's notice still confused Pikana, even after seven years of living in the Mansion with them. What was more, the fact that though they were well into their teens by now and were still able to pull off the puppy-dog look still bothered her slightly.

She hesitated. "Okay, but don't you two dare let it happen again, alright?"

There they were. The matching grins spread across their faces, casting the two boys in a rather nice looking glow. If it weren't for the spark of mischief that remained in their eyes, even Pikana could have mistook them for a pair of angels rather than the troublemakers she had come to know and love over the seven years.

As Pikana walked out of the kitchen, she could not help but wonder as she passed numerous newly painted walls. Despite the end of Tabuu's reign, Smashville and its surrounding lands had been filled to the brim with black market salesmen and wannabe terrorists for nearly five more years. Pikana, Picho, and Pichn had actually been deployed more than once to stop plots involving the bombing of the slowly rebuilding Smash Mansion and the massacring of the Guardians and former slaves.

There had been a cult as well. Pikana remembered it all too well. They weren't all too different from the other gangs of ne'er-do-wells, but there was just something about them that had turned the little Pikachu's blood to ice…

* * *

_She was a blur of motion, a whirling tornado in a sea of white and red. Electricity crackled around her, the stench of burning cloth clogged her throat. Behind her, she could just barely hear the roar of her brothers and their Smashers as Picho and Ness released PK Fire after PK Fire and Pichn and Kirby simply sucked everything up._

_"OUT OF THE WAY, POKE BOY!" Pikana screamed as she charged past the Pokemon Master. Red grunted as he was forced back, rolling away just in time to avoid a blast of magic coming down on him. He shouted an indecipherable order to Charizard, who only roared his approval back._

_Seven years had not been kind to the young man. After living for so long atop Mount Silver, his complexion had hardened to a quality not unlike that of an ice sculpture. His clothes, though not all too different from those he had worn before having his soul ripped out, were much darker and now consisted of a cloak and hood as well. His eyes were the most changed of all, however, as they were now ice cold and no longer shown with laughter._

_Pikana's target was right in front of her: a man in white, like the other cultists, but who wore an ornate headpiece. Her blood boiled as she realized that said ornate headpiece was the exact shape and color of the Subspace Prince's wings. She skidded to a stop, whipping out Bazookie in a single fluid motion._

_The cult leader tried to put up a shield. She could see the little ball of light forming in his hands. He was fast, but she was faster. Without a second thought, she swung Bazookie's barrel out in front of her and pulled the trigger._

BAM!

_A cry was torn from his lips as he staggered back, sobbing at the stumped remains of his hands. A warm fluid flowed freely from the two stumps, staining the white robes red. The cultist remained undeterred, however, as he glared defiantly at his foes as they approached._

_Ness was the first to limp over, a small spark of PK Thunder ready in his palm. Before the cultist could so much as spat at his shoes, however, Picho and Pichn had him tied with a length of rope. Red's heavy footsteps from somewhere behind Pikana told her that it was he who would do the interrogations. _

_She watched as Red knelt down until his piercing eyes were level with the cult leader's. She saw the hand-less man flinch slightly beneath the Pokemon Master's gaze, yet somehow was still able to hold it and glare back a truly cold stare of his own. This surprised Pikana. Surprised and frightened her._

_"Let's get one thing clear here, buddy," Red said with surprising cold-ness. "Tabuu… the idiot you guys worship as a god… he's dead. He's been dead for a real long time now…"_

_The cult leader trembled, but still held his gaze with Red's. Pikana wondered how much willpower this guy had. Usually, a single glare from the hardened Pokemon Master was enough to reduce a pathetic terrorist to tears._

_"So rather than making us follow you around and having to re-live your 'God's' final battle again, I suggest you come quietly," Red continued. "We have healers… Xavier, Dr. Mario, or Teal can do something about your hands…"_

_For the first time, the cultist spoke. His voice was deep and ancient. "Do you really believe, Trainer, that we do not know that already?" he laughed. "The Great Tabuu is dead… and we know that. We are not fools, Boy."_

_Red's brows furrowed at the man's words. For a moment, Pikana could've sworn he was about to raise his hand and hit the man. But if he was, Red managed to calm himself down long enough to speak._

_"I-"_

_"You know nothing, Pokemon Trainer," the cult leader whispered, glaring at Red with cobalt eyes. "The one we worship is greater than the worm Tabuu. The one we worship has power within them to defy the gods and the so-called golden laws of the universe themselves!" _

_"What kind of crap is this guy spewing out?" Pichn muttered. _

_"He's an overly devout cult leader," Kirby muttered. "What else would spew out of his mouth but a bunch of praises about whatever he thinks he's working for?"_

_The cult leader leaned closer to Red, eyes shining maniacally. From her position, Pikana could smell the stench of his breath from too much wine. The smell sent her reeling. So much that, she nearly missed what happened next._

_A crack sounded through the still air, breaking the silence that had developed between them. Pikana, eyes watering slightly from the disgusting stench, was just barely able to make out a small cloud of foam building up in the cult leader's mouth. Before anyone could so much as cry out, however, the cult leader spoke._

_"The Guardians came forth, as the legends say_

_With them they brought the light of new day_

_But did you know of the Breaking of Ties?_

_It is through this that the Fallen will rise._

_Once they come Smashville shall cease in its mend_

_Pitting foe again foe and friend against friend._

_The Devil will rise, the angel will fall_

_And fire shall burn until it takes all!"_

_The man shuddered, convulsions taking control of his body. Pikana and the others ran forward to steady him, but they were stopped by Red. The Pokemon Master watched grimly as the cultist breathed his last, flopping uselessly to the floor like a ragdoll. The small group watched in horror as rigor mortis set in, silently shivering in fear. Red regarded the corpse for only a minute more before he turned to the group._

_"Let's go."_

* * *

One hundred years ago, Tellius had been rich and prosperous. Seven years ago, it had been little more than a barren wasteland. The defeat of Tabuu had brought four heroes- three Smashers and one Guardian- to these lands to help its rebuilding. Through the efforts of these four men, the continent was born anew.

Three fighter jets glimmered silver upon a small plain. There was a lot of movement and shouting coming from each of them, as if the pilots of these jets were arguing over who would get to come out first. Finally, a young woman emerged from one of them.

Long hair streamed out as she removed her pilot's helmet, dark eyes turning towards the bright blue sky. There was a spark dancing in each of these dark eyes, a sort of lively thing that seemed to flitter to and fro. She breathed in, her nostrils flaring. Yes, it felt good to be on solid ground again.

Aly, former Guardian of Fox, knelt down and touched the ground, smiling as the dew covered grass brushed her knee. She had only been flying for a few hours at most, but said few hours had felt like an eternity. Without anything in the skies to shoot at other than a few little birds, she had been awfully bored flying about in her Arwing as of late.

Needless to say, of course, that she was not at all tired of her two partners and targets, Eric and Mars.

It was funny how she had spent the past seven years. After all the flying she had been required to do during the Guardians War, one would think that she and her two friends would have retired for at least a couple of months. However, much to the surprise of a lot of people, the three had taken off again as soon as they landed in the makeshift Lylatian base and explained what had happened in Smashville.

There had been a lot of rebuilding to be done in other worlds besides Smashville. Aly remembered quite well the day she and the other two had decided to drop by Hyrule and were forced to help Cimar and a few incompetent guards lift a large slab of concrete blocking the door to the bathroom. (Rinku really needed to go) There was another time in Altea where Queen Naskara had been unable to keep her dragon chained down one day and the three pilots had to try to round the thing up.

They were in Tellius now. Mars had received a distress call a few hours ago and Eric had managed to trace it to Cam's homeland. The distress call was heavy with static, which unfortunately distorted the voice beyond recognition. Aly was almost positive that the speaker was Cam, but as she was landing in this new, greener world, she wasn't too sure.

"Aly, mind lending us a hand here?" Mars shouted from where he was dragging a large suitcase out of the back of his Sky Claw. A raven-haired youth of about twenty, he was an advocate of aggressive fighting and enjoyed tossing a small gold coin about. His time with Falco as his Smasher had also given him sharp eyesight and a keen interest in the finer points of flying extremely fast like a lunatic.

He managed to walk a few more feet before he gave up and collapsed on the ground, the suitcase falling beside him. "Damn, woman, what's in this thing?"

Aly laughed. "Silly Mars! What else would I keep in a suitcase that big?"

"… Okay, knowing you, it's either a rocket launcher or Eric's dead body," Mars said bluntly. "Which is it?"

Aly rolled her eyes. "It's the rocket launcher Master Hand gave me before we left, remember? The thing I haven't been able to use since I got it?"

"Well, it _is_ a ceremonial thing and-"

"No! It's a perfectly good rocket launcher with perfectly good rockets that I haven't been able to use!" Aly shielded her eyes as a small ray of sunlight brushed her brow. "Where is Eric anyways? Don't tell me he's sitting around on his lazy butt again!"

As if in response to her quip, her fellow pilot staggered off his Wolfen. A shorter-than-average young man, his physical appearance had not changed much, if at all over the seven years. He still sported the same dark blonde hair, his eyes still shone a deep green, and he still had the twin scars underneath his left eye. In fact, just about the only thing that _had_ changed about him was that a glimmering sword was now strapped to his belt.

He walked up to Aly, shoulders heaving. "Aly… did you… happen to throw anything out of my Wolfen before we took off?"

Aly thought a moment, then grinned. "Oh yeah! I threw your toothbrush and stuff out before we left! Hope you don't mind!"

She saw a muscle on Eric's face twitch, heard Mars laughing in the distance. She could've bet her best pistol that Eric was more than just a little annoyed at the moment. Then again, of course, it was only to be expected.

She lived to torment those two.

Aly yawned. "Anyways, we can't just stand here and hang around all day. By the sound of that distress call, it's desperate."

Mars pulled a small device out of his pocket and checked the screen. "According to this, the distress call came from somewhere near… well, it looks like some kind of giant tower thing…"

"By giant tower thing… do you mean _that_ giant tower thing?" Eric asked, pointing to something off in the distance.

It was amazing to Aly how she had managed to miss the sight before. It was a gigantic gleaming tower, shining gold in the bright light of the Tellian sun. It was truly a wonder to behold, perhaps the single landmark on the entire landscape of Tellius that had survived the fires that had ravaged the land so long ago.

"Amazing what having a goddess to protect your giant ass tower does for you," Mars remarked as the three walked towards it. "You think we can get one of those for our fighter jets?"

"Forget the goddess, I think I'd like to see Cam again," Eric said. "I've always wondered what he has been doing as of late."

As the three travelled past the numerous small houses, Aly couldn't help but wonder where all of these people had come from. True, she recognized more than a few old slaves from the Smash Mansion factory, but many more were unfamiliar to her. Then again, of course, Master Hand had sent a universal message offering portal services to those who wished to move and rebuild their lives elsewhere.

Maybe Smashville was a lot bigger than she thought it was.

There were many people, but none of them looked like they were expecting the three. Quite the opposite, actually. Many looked surprised to see them, whispering behind their hands, no doubt wondering what business they had in the newly rebuilt Begnion. (Aly couldn't really remember the name)

Of course, when they were quite sure that the person they were searching for was either too afraid to approach or simply did not know who they were, they began asking around.

"Excuse me, but you haven't sent out a distress signal, have you?"

"Does anyone here actually know how to use a transmitter? All who do come forward!"

"Hey! You people, with the faces! I want whoever dragged us here front and center ASAP!"

Their questioning proved fruitless. Those that did know how to use transmitters knew nothing of anyone sending a distress signal from the base of the Tower of Guidance, as the golden tower was so named. In fact, the last person to be seen anywhere near the Tower was a young mercenary that lived on the outskirts of the town, a young man who always wore a dark red scarf…

"It must be Cam," Eric said as he and his fellow pilots walked quickly towards the Tower of Guidance. "There can't be anyone else."

"Why the Hell would he be at the Tower, though?" Mars asked. "Shouldn't he be running around rebuilding shit?"

Aly shook her head. "Naw, maybe he needs a little… guidance. He used to tell me about how sometimes, if you walked close enough, you could hear the voice of the goddess that protects the tower. Usually, she's singing, but sometimes she gives you advice."

"We sure could use something like that," Mars muttered. "Too bad Peppy kicked the bucket."

Eric grimaced. "Much as I admire him for his… er… leadership skills, I don't think any of us would appreciate someone yelling 'Do a Barrel Roll!' at us every second of the-" the Guardian of Lucario stopped in his tracks.

At the base of the stairs that ascended to the tower sat a small figure wrapped in tight-fitting cloth: a gray shirt, dark brown cargo pants, and tan wraps just about everywhere else. Bits of deep brown hair peeped out from the wrap atop the person's head, a rather wide and sweet-looking eye staring at them through a small hole. Perhaps most unusual about this person was that while their left hand was encased in a brown leather glove, whereas the other was made of metal, with pistons and other apparatuses attached to it.

The figure looked dead. Or Undead seemed to be the proper word. Had it not been for the fact that the single unconcealed was staring at the three pilots so intently, Aly would have believed them to have passed on. There was something familiar about all of this, however… and yet at the same time, extremely different.

"… Chester?" Aly whispered, narrowing her eyes at the figure.

The figure hesitated, stirring slightly as it struggled to find an answer. "No… I don't know anyone named Chester. I'm… I'm the one who called you here." the voice was soft and feminine, sweet and musical. Obviously a woman's voice. "My name… is Sarah."

Mars was next to speak. "Sarah? Well, I don't know if I can believe you or not, Sarah. For one thing, you lack a transmitter, and-"

In response to Mars' slight complaint, Sarah held up her left forearm, where for the first time Aly noticed a black rectangle attached to it. Without a word, Sarah pressed a small button on the rectangle and it opened up, revealing a mini computer and keyboard.

Mars raised an eyebrow. "Okay… I don't know if I should call that awesome or just plain weird."

Eric grinned. "I'd say it's fascinating. Just think of the kind of technology it takes to power the thing!"

Sarah smiled and nodded. "Yes, it does take an awful lot, doesn't it?" she hesitated again. "I called you three here… because there is someone in there that needs to be found."

Aly frowned. "Who? No one has been in there for years, and-"

Sarah shook her head. "No… no one except one person. About three months ago, the person you know as Cam walked into the Tower and disappeared. He hasn't been seen or heard from since."

Aly's jaw dropped. "Three months? But that's-"

"Impossible? I think not," Sarah interrupted. "I have a good feeling that he is still alive… and I think that there could be no one else but you three to do the job."

Aly's doubt remained unabated. Something was not right about all of this. Not only was it very much unlike the Guardian of Ike to need rescuing, it was already suspicious as it was that a complete stranger had called them in to search for him.

As if sensing her doubt, Sarah reached into a hidden pocket somewhere on her person and brought forth a dusty red scarf. The three pilots gasped collectively as they realized that this was the very scarf Cam had worn for so long. He almost never took it off.

"Where did you get that?" Eric asked sharply, gritting his teeth. For a moment, Aly could've sworn she saw a small spurt of aura flare out from one of his ears. After being Guardian of Lucario for so long, Eric had retained some degree of aura reading and amplifying abilities. In spite of these, however, he lacked the ability to control them properly.

"He gave it to me," Sarah said quietly. "As a gesture of goodwill. I am… an old friend of his."

Mars squinted as he stared at the scarf. "… Well, the thing's definitely his. I can still see the bloodstains from where I punched him in the nose for eating the last of the beef jerky." he turned to Eric. "Do you think you can sense him from here?"

Eric closed his eyes and took a deep breath. For a few moments, nothing was said as Eric probed the great tower for any trace of Cam's aura. Aly fidgeted a little, uncomfortable with the silence. Finally, after a few minutes, Eric opened his eyes.

"I can definitely sense his aura in there. It's pretty hard not to miss it. The guy's been _everywhere_. He's rubbed it on every piece of… whatever's up there." Eric shook his head. "I don't know why he went up there, but he certainly went with a purpose. And the fact that his aura is still around means that somewhere up there, Cam's still alive. I can't tell whether or not he's dying at this moment, but while we're standing here, he's in there somewhere… very, very much alive."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Mars asked brusquely. "Let's head out, guys!"

While the men charged up the stairs, Aly stayed behind, regarding the girl that brought them here. She seemed nice enough, but there was something about her that made Aly's blood run cold. Whether it was the fact that she kept most of herself hidden or simply because Aly had yet to shoot her, she did not know. What she did know, however, what whatever was going on in Tellius was much more than simply unusual.

"Aly, are you coming?" Eric called. "Mars is already in and he's raring to go!"

"It's best that you get going," Sarah said, smiling kindly. "Don't worry, I'll stay out here and make sure no one else tries to get in. Three people tried to already…"

Aly frowned. "Just one que-"

"ALY!"

_BOOM!_

"I destroyed something, I think!" Mars called out. "I can't tell, I can't see shit in here!"

Aly huffed. "… Nevermind. Seeya later." with that, she charged up the stairs.

* * *

"Seven years, eh?" Roy asked as he, Olimar, and Snake walked through the halls of the mansion. "Can you believe it?"

Olimar nodded. "Indeed. I'm still having some trouble believing it myself."

Snake sighed, exhaling a small cloud of smoke. "Well I sure as Hell can." the soldier's hand curled into a fist, threatening to crush the cigarette in his hand. "It's been too damn long."

"You've been in an awfully bad mood lately, Snake," Olimar observed. "Ever considered just taking a quiet stroll through the gardens?"

Snake glared at the shorter man. "… I've tried that. And every time I walk into our damned gardens, I'm always reminded of _them_…" he clenched his teeth, hands shaking, the cigarette now little more than a forgotten pile of crushed tobacco and ash.

Roy suddenly felt a wave of misery wash over him at this cold reminder of what had been lost. Even after seven years, the memories of Samus, Captain Falcon, Game and Watch, Diddy Kong, Meta Knight, Wario, and Bowser Jr. stung him like a newly sharpened sword. There was rarely ever a day that passed that he did not think of the seven brave souls that had dreadfully lost their lives during the Guardians War.

"… Doug used to love dragging me out there to pick flowers for whatever lady he was hitting on at the time, you know?" Snake whispered. "We always ended up arguing over whether or not lilies should be given and then just wrestling in the grass or flowerbed or whatever was nearby…" his tone was heavy, his voice at breaking point. "Peach used to get so ticked at us…"

Olimar sighed. "Yes… not a day goes by where I am working on my ship in the hangars and I suddenly just put down my wrench and shed a few tears for Samus… ah, I do miss her so…"

Roy coughed. His time in Tellius had kept him busy rebuilding, unable to mourn the loss of his fellow Smashers. In spite of this, however, he truly did miss those days where he and Game and Watch would sit on a bench and just talk about what was going on with them and their matches. This memory, along with any others, caused Roy to let out a low sigh.

Olimar patted each of them on their arm. "There, there, you two. There's no need to be so glum. After all, it has been seven years. I'm sure they're in a much better place."

Roy gave the Pikmin Commander a small smile. "I hope so, Olimar. I hope so…"

The three made their way into the newly rebuilt dining hall, which was already alive with chatter. The moment Roy walked into the hall, he felt his spirits lift. Here, at least, was where he could still find a friend or two.

Some of the Guardians were engaged in a heated game of charades. Mah, who was the one doing the charade, was standing on a table and waving a knife around like a sword. Beeh, Lin, Squall, Pikana, Picho, Pichn, and many others all shouted out their guesses, only to be sorely disappointed with each sake of Mah's head.

Roy chose to pitch in his guess. "I know! You're Toon Link!"

Mah's head whipped around, brunette locks swinging as she did so. "That's right, Roy!"

Roy laughed as a collective groan sounded from the Guardians around him. "Alright, alright, Kage, you go ahead and take my turn, alright?"

Kage grinned. "Thanks, Roy!" she now leaped on the table. "Alright, you guys won't get this!"

Roy now turned his attention to the receiving line, where he knew his food was waiting. He got in line behind JB, the Guardian of Jigglypuff. JB flashed Roy a grin.

"What's up, Roy? I haven't seen you around in a while!"

Roy smiled. "Yeah. Ike and I decided to come home now that Tellius is on the mend. Marth went to go visit Nask and see how she was doing."

JB's grin seemed to widen. "Awesome. Nothing much has been happening over here. Psy's finally remembering the difference between a bow and a spear and good ol' Traca and Golfer left the mansion a little while ago and set up a kinda bounty hunting business."

Roy laughed. "Sounds like they're having fun. Have they… confirmed it, yet?"

JB snorted. "No. Those two stay away from the gossip storm like it's the plague. Of course, seeing how big the storm is, I wouldn't be able to tell whether or not it is one." he shook his head. "'Course, Jiggs visits them every now and then…"

They received their food and walked over to the nearest table, where Sam and Young Link were already seated and eating. JB claimed the spot next to Sam, which left Roy to the seat beside Young Link.

Seven years had not changed Sam much, if at all, save for the numerous scars littered all over his face. His twin katanas remained strapped to his belt and hung their as he ate. Roy couldn't help but wonder if Sam knew how potentially dangerous it was to eat with them like that.

"So I was telling Young Link here," Sam said. "That it's a _good_ thing Tetra seems so interested in him. After all, with Zelda taken and Nana not interested, she's-"

"Toon's had his eye on her forever, Sam," Young said exasperatedly. "I'm not about to walk up and just steal his girl…"

"You already did anyways," Roy pointed out. "Besides, look at it this way… now you're a little bit more desirable to other women."

Young laughed. "Yeah, I guess so. But anyways… have any of you guys seen Big Me around? I let him borrow my boomerang, and-"

"You let him borrow your boomerang, eh Young?" JB snickered. "Kinky!"

Young Link gaped in horror as Roy and Sam burst out laughing. "No! No! Nothing like that! I mean, yeah, I thought it was kinda weird that he wanted mine when he had his Gale Boomerang, but no! Gross!"

"You might wanna delouse it before you use it again," Sam said, elbowing his Smasher. "You never know what Big You gets up to, with being a married man and all that…"

"You know…" Roy said. "I've always wondered what he and Zelda have been doing when they go to the training room together… the stench in there would hide any sort of… _smell_…"

JB's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

Roy grinned evilly. "I do, good sir. I'd say that those two are-"

"Are what, Roy?" a deep voice asked, causing the former Marquess to nearly jump out of his seat. Putting on the biggest, most innocent smile he possibly could, Roy turned around and found himself staring into a pair of sharp wolf-like eyes.

"O-Oh! Hi, Link!" Roy stammered. "Nice to see you! Lovely weather we're having! Hey, did you see that one soap opera yesterday? Man, I can't believe that Jenny-"

Link let out a long sigh. "Yes, yes, yes. Peach made Zelda and I sit with her and watch it yesterday. But that's not the point. The point is, I think _someone_ here needs to be taught a lesson on when to keep his perverted mouth shut. And don't you three try sneaking off," he added as his younger self, Sam, and JB tried to sneak away from the table. "You guys are in as much trouble as Roy here."

Roy gulped. "H-Hey! Let's not get too violent here! I need to save up my energy for the tournament battle later, remember? I can't-" his voice rose in pitch as Link grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up. "H-Hey! Watch it! It's a new shirt!"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well, I don't suppose you can simply wear a new doublet for the brawl…" his fingers dug into the seam, threatening to pop the stitches.

"NO! STOP! OKAY, OKAY I'M SORRY!" Roy shouted. "Please don't hurt me! Please!"

Link laughed. "Geez Roy, chill out." he dropped the red-head on the bench, much to the amusement of the ones sitting with them. "You should know by now that unless you're big, ugly, and smell like dark magic, I wouldn't so much as poke you without warning."

Roy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, thanks, _Hero_…" then, he added in a mumble. "Nearly made me wet my pants…"

Link laughed. "Alright, alright." he now turned to JB, Sam, and Young. "How are you three doing?"

JB shrugged. "Alright, I guess. 'course, without big power-hungry megalomaniacs trying to destroy everything in sight, things have kinda gone down the way toned down road."

Sam nodded. "Yeah. As bad as our situation was back then, I still had some fun. And besides, who can forget that look on Tabuu's face when Young and I whammed him?"

Young Link grinned. "You should've seen it, Big Me! Tabuu's big fat hands were everywhere, but Sam and I easily avoided them. Then we just pulled out our swords and wham, wham, wham! Nailed him!" to emphasize this fact, Young Link grabbed Roy's untouched knife and waved it about, coming dangerously close to slicing off Sam's hair in the process.

Link grinned. "Glad you guys are doing well after that…" Roy noticed his hand unconsciously move to his stomach, where the Emblem Lord knew that a large scar remained embedded in the skin. "I'm still kind of recovering myself…"

Roy placed a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Cheer up, dude. We were supposed to be finished with our guilt trips and mourning six years ago." he now changed the subject. "So how's Zelda doing? I haven't seen her around lately!"

At the mention of his wife's name, the Chosen Hero's face seemed to light up. "Oh, she's doing great! In fact, she's-" his words were cut short.

Everything happened in a blur. Roy barely had time to register anything happening before he was on his feet, Sword of Seals drawn and flashing. A blood-curdling scream ripped through the halls, echoed by numerous Guardians and Smashers alike. Tables were tipped over, chairs upturned, and food spilt all over the floor.

Link was on the floor, his body wracking horribly with convulsions. Sam and JB both leaned down as one and grabbed the Hero by the shoulders, pinning him down as the convulsions continued. Roy watched in horror as the Sacred Blue-Eyed Beast began coughing, flecks of red spraying into the air.

"LINK!" the name was echoed all throughout the dining hall, running feet came towards the source of the commotion as every Guardian and Smasher ran for the Hero. Yoshi, Olimar, and Young Link held the others at bay as Roy bent down to examine his friend.

"Someone go get Xavier, Dr. Mario, or Teal!" Sam ordered. "HURRY!"

A flash of blue from out of the corner of Roy's eye told him that Sonic had already left. Biting his lip, Roy gingerly placed a hand on Link's chest and examined him, gently massaging the Hero's heart in case it should sputter out.

Link's eyes, once so piercing, were clouded over. He saw and heard nothing as the convulsions continued. Every so often, a stain of red would appear on his tunic, quickly spreading as if a thousand wounds from the past had suddenly decided to reopen themselves to torment the Hero. His breathing was little more than a few choked gasps.

But perhaps the worst of all were the screams. Every scream was louder, more horrible than the last. They were ripped from the throat, summoned forth from the blackest abyss, loud enough to strike fear into the hearts of even the bravest of them.

The Blur Blur of Speed returned. "Doc's here, guys!"

Xavier skidded into the room, followed by his Smasher, Doctor Mario. Roy watched numbly as the two pushed their way to the Courage Bearer, clutching various devices and medicines that would either help or harm him even more. They got to work, shooing everyone away to other rooms of the Smash Mansion as they did so.

Roy was the last to leave. Staring with wide, horror-filled eyes at his friend, he could only utter a single promise.

"Everything's… going to be… fine…"

It killed him to know how empty that promise truly was.

* * *

_Hisssss…_

For every light, there was a shadow. For every Hero, there was a Villain. For every beauty, there was a beast.

A slim finger traced its way across a small row of pictures, gently caressing each face as it passed. Some of the pictures held images of handsome youths and beautiful women. Others held the likeliness of mighty beasts. Still more held strange beings, creatures shaped like everything from puffballs to a pair of hands…

The finger paused for a moment, tracing the image of a truly glorious young woman with flowing hair the color of dawn. Her skin seemed to glow from within, giving her a truly radiant quality that her gentle smile could only emphasize. Swabbed in a dress of palest blue, she looked every inch a goddess.

"Ashunera."

The voice was high and cold, as if coming from the darkness of the Abyss. It hissed and snarled and screeched and growled all at once. It lacked music, a sense of direction, much like the voice of a predator slowly hypnotizing its prey.

The finger kept going, caressing each picture as they appeared. When it next stopped, the image held not one but three beautiful women. Swathed in dresses of red, blue, and green, the three seemed to radiate a personality of their own. The one in red, with her fiery red hair and flaming arms seemed to hold a sort of power that even in a mere image sent shivers down everyone's spine. The one in blue, with her deep eyes and cascading wave of blue hair, seemed to hold within her the wisdom beyond the ages. The green one- whose hair was the color of fresh spring grass- radiated fortitude and diligence, a quality that many heroes possessed.

"Din. Nayru. Farore."

Again, the finger resumed its course, continuing to trace the pictures as they passed. Just before it stopped again, however, the sound of a door opening caused the finger to pause in its tracks. The owner turned around, yellow eyes glaring coldly in the direction of the interruption. A large purple blob-like creature shuffled in and bowed low, single eye blinking and rolling as it trembled before its master.

"… The final package has arrived."

_Hisssss…_

There was a long pause, a cold silence that seemed to ring for miles. The blob-like creature trembled some more, twice opening its mouth to speak, but closing it in fear. Finally, when it believed that the message had not been heard, it tried again.

"The final pack-"

"I know it is here," came the answer. "Bring it to me…"

The creature straightened and left, only to return seconds later carrying a small capsule. It was a rather unremarkable thing, looking much like the capsules that were often used to hold items and such during Smash Tournaments. There was, however, once difference between those and this one.

This capsule had the letter A etched on it in blood.

A smile formed on the lips of the creature's master. "Excellent. Be a dear and open it. I wish to gaze upon it with my own eyes."

The capsule was twisted and opened. A foul-smelling smoke filled the room, causing the creature to cough and sputter. In spite of this, however, its master continued to smile maliciously as the smoke curdled together and took shape, forming the image of what would later be known as the Vessel.

The shape taken was that of a young man wearing glittering silver armor. There was a somewhat pinched look about him, as if he had very little to eat throughout his life. His brunette locks were swept messily across his head, not quite covering the numerous worry-lines that dotted his features. Yet at the same time, his face held a wide, innocent quality. Though the young man's eyes remained close, there was no doubt that they would shine a deep, intelligent brown.

The creature, which had by now stopped coughing, watched as its master walked closer to the young man, gazing at his face. A million tendril-like things coiled forth from out of its master's head and shot forward, caressing the face of the Vessel as if he meant the world to them. A million little red forked things flicked in and out of the tendrils as they continued to trace his face, unheeded by the slim hands of his master also doing their work.

After a long while, the master seemed satisfied. The tendril-like appendages retracted. The creature's master turned to it and spoke but one question.

"… What is this one's name?"

The creature cleared its throat. "Master… is there any need to know the names of these Vessels? After all, this one is y-"

"_What is his name_?"

The creature trembled. Its master was angry. It was a miracle that it had not been vaporized by now. As it opened its mouth to speak, it took every inch of its own willpower to stop itself from bolting out the door.

"Austin."

_Hisssss…_


	3. Matt

Matt, Commander of Elements

**A/N: Many thanks to my beta reader, Foxpilot!**

* * *

Dr. Mario swept his gaze over the many cots in the hospital wing of the Smash Mansion and frowned. While injuries were quite commonplace at the Smash Mansion, it was quite clear to him that the current occupants of his hospital did not sport mere cuts or broken bones. In fact, the four people—knocked out by sedatives and attached to heart monitors—were possibly the least likely to get injured out of all the people in the Smash Mansion.

The first unusual thing that had caught the good doctor's attention was the only female patient, Zelda. She had arrived in his office not too long ago, her normally pristine hair disheveled from running. Doctor Mario's Guardian, Xavier, claimed that he caught a whiff of what smelt suspiciously like yesterday's dinner. Teal, an aspiring healer in his own right, had claimed much the same.

It was natural practice to ask of the former Princess why she had come. Of course, judging from certain… signs, Doctor Mario, Teal, and Xavier already knew what she would ask for. Before the Hylian could reply, however, the convulsions had struck.

It had only been a second after Zelda's convulsions had started that Sonic the Hedgehog entered the office. As soon as Doctor Mario was able to comprehend the Smasher's rushed explanation of what was happening, he grabbed his bag. Leaving Teal behind to tend to the former royal, he and Xavier had charged into the dining hall, only to be met with Link, who was having his own convulsions.

But perhaps the strangest thing of all was the arrival of Rinku and Cimar, former Guardians of Link and Zelda respectively. They had both arrived in a flash of light not too long after Xavier and Teal had managed to sedate the two Smashers. Rinku was unconscious the moment he hit the floor, but a weakened Cimar still found the strength in him to talk. He managed to babble out a tale of a dark shadow in the Hyrule Royal Library and how he and Rinku were attacked before he too was forcefully put to bed.

Dr. Mario was now examining Rinku's bandaged wounds, frowning in confusion as he did so. While it did not shake him at all to see that a blade of some sort no doubt inflicted the wounds, it was the way they were arranged on Rinku's body that surprised him. After receiving a thorough examination of Link from Teal, he could easily conclude that the wounds that had appeared on the retired Hero's body during his convulsions had the exact same severity, depth, and locations as the wounds he was examining now upon his Guardian's body.

He looked to Xavier, whose dark hair was quite damp with sweat. He had been working long and hard to keep Link's heart monitor going, desperately fighting through the Hero's convulsions to keep him alive. It was noticeable that with every convulsion, a new wound opened up, one identical to the ones that occasionally opened up on Rinku's body.

"There is some strange magic at work here," Teal said quietly as he carefully passed a paw over Zelda's still form. The Lylatian wolf-dog's nose twitched slightly as he sniffed the air around her. "I detect high traces of Ancient Magic, the kind of stuff Master and Crazy wield…"

Dr. Mario now turned his attention to Teal, watching as the Guardian of Lucas' gray and white fur bristled slightly as he continued to examine the light magical aura surrounding the former Princess. His light blue cargo shorts and hoodie were also drenched in sweat from the exertion of having to look after both Cimar and his Smasher.

The seven years had been harsher on Teal than any other Guardian, in spite of the generally enjoyable life he had led during the period of time. Crippled with the loss of many a dear friend, some of Teal's gray fur had whitened, much like how human haired whitened from stress. As a result of dedicating his time to chronicling the history of the Guardians and acting as a medic, his fur had grown out a little and he even managed to tie two ponytails as a result.

Teal cleared his throat. "This magic is nearly identical to Master Hand's and yet, as I continue looking at it, there is something quite different about it." he hesitated. "This… this magic… whatever it is… there is something evil about it. Something dark and almost foreboding. Why, I haven't felt anything like it since we last fought… Him…"

Xavier gulped. "That's impossible, though! There's no way he can be alive! I mean… we—all of us—we… we burnt the body. We burnt it to make sure he never rose again."

Dr. Mario frowned. As a man of science, he had always been rather inept when it came to magic. As such, he was thankful for Teal's agreeing to retire from the fighting lines in favor of becoming his assistant, second only to Xavier. In spite of Teal attempting to teach him some of the basics of how magic worked, the good doctor had thus far been rather ineffectual when it came to identifying the telltale signs of magical damage.

"Are you absolutely positive a body is needed to complete a resurrection spell?" Dr. Mario asked, turning to Teal.

Teal hesitated, but spoke again. "No… there have been times in the past—with the War of the Underworld Uprising, for example—that the resurrection in question simply needed a soul, not a body…"

"But didn't it take the power of a major, major God to pull that off?" Xavier asked. "Because I can't imagine anyone less powerful than… than maybe Ashunera pulling off a stunt like that."

Teal nodded. "Yes… it took the power of Hades himself. Therefore, unless Hades has suddenly gained some sort of interest in us, there is no telling how this magic has managed to infect these four here."

Dr. Mario's frown deepened, his brilliant mind racing. "There doesn't seem like there is much we can do other than consult Master Hand." he nodded. "I think I'll go do that now… will you two be able to look after these four on your own?"

Xavier cracked a small smile. "What, Doc? Don't trust us? Even after you've been training us for… for the past seven years?"

Teal was a little bit more solemn as he spoke. "We'll do the best we can. Should anything out of our league arise, we'll contact you as soon as we can."

Dr. Mario nodded, exiting the medical wing without another word. Master Hand's office was one floor up and two doors down. The floating limb had claimed that room not long after the mansion was rebuilt, in spite of the fact that it was built more like a bedroom than an office fit for one of the creators of the known worlds. In spite of this, however, Master Hand often insisted that the view his window gave him of the lake was often quite soothing.

Doctor Mario lifted one gloved hand up to the door to Master Hand's study and hesitated. While there were many a time when he had paid the Creator of the Smashers a visit, never before had he had to come to him because of some sort of illness. Indeed, there had almost never been an illness that the good doctor couldn't cure, and even if there was, Teal or Xavier usually figured out a resolution.

His hesitation was deadly. He could practically feel the seconds ticking away, his heart hammering in his ribs with every click of his watch. Something in him told him to run. Run and see if there was anything he could do to help the Hylians. There was no need for Master Hand's help. After all, he was a doctor. There was nothing he could not cure, right? Right?

No. He had to push away these thoughts. With the Hylians in such a curious and critical condition, there was no telling what would happen during the precious seconds he was wasting. He was a prideful man, but he lived to save the lives of others. These precious seconds, these moments slowly slipping away, were all he had left. Swallow his pride, he rapped his knuckles on the wood before him and waited.

"Enter."

The first thing that struck Dr. Mario upon entering the room was the thin, yet much taller than last he remembered figure sitting in front of Master Hand's desk. The now 19-year-old Toon Link had chosen to go sailing with Squall during the seven years, the golden tan of his skin and large muscles evident of hard days in the sun. The two had docked and visited quite recently, Squall coming back to see some of the friends he made among the Guardians and Toon Link to speak to Master Hand. His large, cat-like eyes flashed over to regard the doctor for a few seconds before training themselves once again on Master Hand.

"Master Hand, something needs to be done," Toon Link said. Doctor Mario detected a hint of frustration in his voice, as if the Hero of Winds was attempting to control his temper. "Squall and I can't keep this up any longer! If we don't pull back soon, we might as well slit our own throats!"

"Toon Link, as much as I wish to help, there is simply nothing I can do," Master Hand said exhaustively. "You and Squall… you are quite possibly the only thing standing in the way of us and The Storm…"

"You've told us that," Toon Link spat. "Again, again, and again… that's the only excuse you've been giving us this whole time…"

"It's the truth," Master Hand's voice was weary, as if this mere conversation was draining him. "I cannot tell you anything beyond what you may know…"

"… People are going to get killed, Master Hand," Toon Link whispered harshly. "And for what? Hanging out at sea, keeping 'The Storm' at bay. Do you know how many times we've almost given up? Do you?"

"I know your time at sea has been harsh, Toon Link," Master Hand said gravelly. "And there is little that you can truly do in the face of The Storm. But please, try to understand that both you and Squall are playing extremely vital roles here. If The Storm is not delayed, all will be lost…"

Dr. Mario cleared his throat. "Sorry for the interruption, but I am in great need to get back to my patients as soon as possible. Master Hand, if there is no objection, I—"

"I am fully aware of what has happened to the four Hylians, Doctor Mario," Master Hand interrupted. "And I am also fully aware that there is a certain kind of magic upon them that is extremely similar to my own. However, know that there is nothing to be worried about at the time, and—"

"Master Hand, those four are in extremely critical condition!" Dr. Mario cut in angrily. "If they are not treated soon, it is ten to one that they'll slip into a coma. Twelve to one that they won't live to see the next day afterwards!"

"I am fully aware of the danger, Dr. Mario," Master Hand snapped. "And rest assured that those four will indeed live to see the next day! It will take much, much more than a few wounds to put down what has begun to take place!"

"And the magic? Do you truly believe that I will simply allow those four to walk about these halls while they are tainted with such magic?" Dr. Mario asked. "Master Hand, have you no mercy? That magic, while similar to your own, is _much_ more similar to Tabuu's! To Subspace!" one gloved hand curled into a fist, piercing blue eyes flashing as he regarded the giant floating limb. "I will not have the Shadow Bug Plague upon us again, Master Hand!"

"And what's this shit about not being able to tell me and Squall about what the Hell we're doing with The Storm?" Toon Link demanded.

"ENOUGH!"

There was a flash of lightning. Dr. Mario and Toon Link both leaped back, Super Sheet and Master Sword coming out in no time flat. Master Hand floated there behind his desk, fingers curled into a fist, shaking with anger and frustration. But in spite of the fact that Master Hand was an all-powerful being, Dr. Mario felt naught but resolve as he stared defiantly up at the Creator of the Smashers. Seeming to sense this resolve, Master Hand calmed down, fingers slowly falling limply as he uncurled himself.

"… There is little that I can tell you two now, but know that in time, you will know the full story," Master Hand sighed, seeming to deflate as he lowered himself to their level. "But… I suppose you two, out of everyone else, deserve any explanation."

"Please," Dr. Mario said firmly, priming himself to listen.

"… Very well… Subspace and Tabuu, as you both very well know, are not the only two evils in this world. Knowing this, when Crazy and I worked to create the Guardian Bonds, we made extra sure that it would take a very, very large amount of power for them to ever be broken…"

"… So when Tabuu was defeated… and we all went our separate ways…" Toon Link said quietly. "Our bonds didn't break."

"… No. At least, not for those whose Smashers were able to live through this horrible ordeal," Master Hand said sadly. "The bonds between you and your Guardians have been lying dormant for these past seven years, ready to reawaken when they are needed again."

Dr. Mario frowned. There was something wrong here. This talking of bonds did not explain how Link and Zelda had managed to acquire injuries in the exact same places as their Guardians. Unless…

"… We were spirits the last time our bonds were active," Dr. Mario ventured. "So that means…"

"Yes, Dr. Mario," Master Hand bobbed slightly in mid-air, indicating a nod. "Now that you Smashers have your bodies back, there is another price to the great power that the bonds give you. Injuries are now shared between Smasher and Guardian."

All three of them fell silent at that, the weight of the cost of these bonds falling upon their shoulders. It was now even more imperative than ever that the Guardians and Smashers work together to protect themselves, their partners, and their allies. One wrong move, one false lead, and everything would tumble down upon them.

It was without another word spoken that Master Hand gently ushered the two Smashers out of his office and closed the door. Neither of the two complained as this happened. For a few moments, they simply stood there in silence, going over what they had just learned.

"… Looks like we've got no other choice," Dr. Mario said quietly. "I'll return to my clinic and see if I can patch them up the best I can…" He turned. "It has been nice seeing you again, To—"

"Wait," Toon Link stood, pulling something out of his hat as he did so. Dr. Mario found himself grasping onto a small jar, which held a tiny pink ball of light with wings. "Give this to them… it might help…"

His eyes widened. "A fairy!"

Toon Link nodded. "Yep… I know those things are nearly extinct—or at least, they seem to be— but Squall and I managed to find an entire fountain of them back when we visited Hyrule." he hesitated. "Only King Rinku and Cimar know about it, though…"

Dr. Mario smiled. "Thank you, Toon Link. Your secret is safe with me."

He saw more hesitation in the young man's large eyes, his stance shifting uncomfortably as he spoke again. "Dr. Mario… how do you put out a fire?"

Dr. Mario raised one eyebrow. "Ah, Toon… all you have to do is—"

"We've tried water, Doctor," Toon Link said. "And dirt… and a fire extinguisher… just about everything." he gulped. "If you ever get time… go out to the lawn. There's a really, really small one back where… where _her_ grave is…" Dr. Mario heard the quavering in his voice as he continued. "But Dr. Mario… there's something wrong about that flame. When you get really close to it, it makes you feel so much colder…"

Dr. Mario felt an ice cold hand around his heart as he listened. Against his will, his muscles tensed up as Toon Link continued to describe this strange flame. Yes, he would certainly have to look upon this himself sooner or later…

"Whenever I look at it… I get that feeling again," Toon Link whispered. "That feeling I always get when I'm around Red nowadays…"

Dr. Mario placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I will look into it but I shall tell you now that it is nothing to be worried about."

It killed him how easily this lie slipped off his tongue.

* * *

He woke up.

What was he doing here? Where was he? Who was he?

He was lying upon a cold hard floor, hands damp with sweat. There was a strange burning sensation in the back of his head, irritating but not at all impeding in its intensity. He felt as if he lacked bone or muscle, as if he had just woken up from a very, very long sleep...

There was something strange about this place. Though a thin film covered his eyes, rendering him nearly blind, he was still able to sense something about it. It was a strange sensation, something he had not felt in a long time.

Warmth. Comfort. Life.

He blinked twice, trying to get the film out of his eyes. When it remained firmly in place, he raised a weak and shaking hand to rub it off. It surprised him slightly when instead of feeling the soft flesh of his eyelids, his fingers bumped up against something smooth and flat instead.

Like a child just learning how to control his motor functions, his fingers shakily managed to wipe away some of the film that clouded his vision. He now realized that he was gazing at the world through a pair of optical enhancers, dirtied from who knows what. Summoning his returning strength, he took off these glasses and carefully wiped them on his shirt.

They were blue.

He now replaced the glasses, pressing his hands down on the cold floor. Gritting his teeth, he summoned whatever strength he had in him and pressed down on the floor. He felt his torso lift an inch off it before his arms gave way and he painfully flopped back down.

He tried again.

His balance was shaky, but he was able to hold himself up. Deep brown eyes blinked in wonder as he observed his surroundings, taking in everything from the shining windows to the cobwebs draped over every nook and cranny. The stench in the air was one of the Ancients, filled the dust and decay.

Where was he?

He tried his legs now; first the right foot, then the left. He lifted each of them up and planted them firmly on the ground, shivering as a jolt of coldness spread through his body. He gritted his teeth and heaved with all his might, sending him to his feet.

He almost toppled over.

"Ah well," he said out loud, "Topple once, shame on me. Topple twice, shame on my legs. Topple three times, shame on the floor!"

His voice echoed eerily in this strange empty room, with its high ornate ceiling and stained glass windows. His tongue passed briefly over his lips as he realized that not only was he thirsty, but quite hungry as well. In fact, he felt as if he hadn't eaten a meal in years!

He looked around, taking in his surroundings. Now that he was standing up, it was a little bit easier to see everything. He saw a soaring ceiling, with a huge mural painted on it. It depicted a beautiful woman with hair the color of rosy dawn standing together with a blue-haired man and a cat-eared person thing. He actually found the cat-like man quite amusing, seeing that he looked pretty funny standing next to the human and the… well, human-ish looking woman.

"Wonder how he's feline in there," he said, laughing at his own joke. "I bet he thinks everything's just _purrfect_!"

He wondered for a second if he was drunk.

He tore his eyes away from the ceiling and looked around, further exploring the strange place he woke up in. The high, wrought iron windows were each placed a few feet apart, allowing a soft golden light to filter into the circular room. As he walked towards one of these windows, he could not help but wonder why in the world he was still here when there was so obviously a much bigger world beyond these stone walls.

He breathed in, nostrils taking in the fresh scent of the air beyond the window. He saw before him a beautiful valley, with new grass and trees peeking up from the obviously fertile soil. He saw a small town spread out before him, people no more than tiny black dots as they walked to and fro. Out in the distance, his eye caught a sparkling blue sea, where he saw the puffy white sails of ships slowly making their way across it.

For a moment, he wanted to jump. To rip open the iron bars of the window before him and leap out into the world beyond. His fingers briefly closed around two of the bars, but in spite of something within him telling him to pull, he knew it would be of no use. For now, he was trapped in this strange room, this glorious prison. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to try to stem his nerves.

All at once, a new world was open up to him. This world was not simply one of images and scents, but one of living, breathing color. Bewilderingly, he spun around, watching as numerous pulsing blobs of color came to life. He felt as if he was standing in the middle of a water color painting, where every color that appeared before him was even more beautiful than the next.

Four colors stood out to him in particular. When he looked down at the floor, he could see these four colors—maroon, turquoise, cherry red, and light orange—slowly swimming their way through all the other colors, towards the room in which he was held. For a moment, he hesitated, wondering if he should find a weapon and fight or run and hide.

The burning sensation… now it was distracting him. It had been a mere whisper at first, but as time passed, it became more and more intense. What began as a tiny headache began blooming into a full-fledged migraine as pain ripped through him without mercy.

Who was he?

"_Your name is Matt, the Element Commander."_

Where was he?

"_You are in the Tower of Guidance."_

Why was he here?

"_To complete the Awakening."_

He screamed. A shriek ripped from the darkest pits of Hell. He felt the floor shake, the walls tremble, and the sky itself quake at the sound. But it did not matter to him as he simply sat there in the middle of all his pain, grasping his head, silently begging it to stop. But it did not relent, choosing instead to grow in its intensity.

He heard voices. A shout of surprise. The sounds of combat boots hitting the floor. He screamed again as more pain ripped through him, the burning punishing him for daring to listen to these foreign noises.

He saw a bright light, black shadows surrounding him. He felt the cold, damp feel of metal beneath him. He heard the quiet voices of the men as they moved before him, whispering words such as "impossible", "threat", and "kill". He smelt the horrible stench of death surrounding him, tasted the corrosive liquid in his mouth before everything went black…

Sweat poured down his face, choking him, causing him to cough. In his delirium he thought this sweat to be blood, the black lines all over his vision to be Death's eternal embrace. Fear welled up within him as he imagined a pair of blood-covered hands slowly closing around his heart, squeezing it until it exploded inside his chest.

"No…" he whispered. "No… not again… I don't want to… go back…"

Slowly, he allowed the blackness to overcome him, on his knees, still screaming.

* * *

He woke up.

He found himself on his knees, hands tearing desperately at his hair. Blinking in surprise he lowered them, wiping some sweat from his forehead as he did so.

_"Can you hear me?"_

Yes, he could hear the voice. He could hear it as if its source was standing right beside him. The door into his mind, the window into his very soul, was trying to force itself open for the voice. For a moment he felt fearful, his body naturally reacting to the foreign invader like it was some form of virus hoping to claim him.

_"Trust me…"_

The voice was strange. It was deep and ancient, wreathed in a power that was well beyond his comprehension. He suddenly felt very small as he continued to listen, almost as if he was listening to the great Creator himself.

_"Do you remember your name?"_

His name was Sir Aaron, Hero of the Wave and the True Guardian of Aura.

_"Do you remember your past?"_

Yes… he had once served a Kingdom in years long passed, serving its mighty Queen as one of the most loyal of knights. He had left the Kingdom to stop a war between two unknown armies before it destroyed his home and his Queen. He had travelled into the Tree of Beginning to heal the Pokemon Mew, whereupon he gave his Aura to the Pokemon to end the war.

_This came at the cost of his own life._

He remembered that there was someone else as well. A student, perhaps, or an old friend. He remembered quite well that this student- or friend- had had abilities that were extremely similar to his. But though he searched and searched through his memory, all of this was in vain.

Oh well, the guy was probably dead anyways.

_"Do you remember your purpose?"_

He was on a mission to purge the world of the greatest evil ever to walk the earth. They had come to the world claiming they were heroes, overthrowing the Overlord at the time in order to meet their ends. They had destroyed the world that once was, and it was his job to help the Ancients win this world back.

_"Beware! They are coming for you!"_

He heard footsteps in the distance, voices shouting a myriad of things. But while he could hear quite clearly how close these people were to him, he knew that he had plenty of time to act. His muscles tensed as he crouched, his heart pounding in his ears.

The first of them- a young man with a mess of brown hair wielding a crackling rapier- burst into the room. For a few moments, the two of them froze, disbelieving the figure before them. Sir Aaron's tongue passed over his mouth; a bead of sweat trickled down his face. The person before him was strong, and obviously battle-hardened. There was little to no chance that he could possibly be overpowered.

All at once, something washed through him, a bloodlust that he had never felt in life. It came into his mouth, a coppery sort of taste, corrosive and sweet all at once. He felt a growl rip through his lips as an animalistic rage engulfed him. He crouched, tensed his muscles, and leaped.

His hand touched something long and cold strapped to his belt. In one swift, fluid motion, he unsheathed a gleaming sword. He brought it up just in time to parry a stab from his opponent's rapier, before using his forward momentum to drive his shoulder into the other's chest.

"Oomph!"

He and his opponent fell to the ground, wrestling each other as they tried to avoid each other's blades. The crackling rapier was lightning quick, but he was quite fast as well. In only a few seconds, he was off of his opponent and ready to strike again.

His opponent charged, the rapier swinging in deadly arcs towards his chest. Holding the flat of his sword in his other hand, Sir Aaron stepped forward and blocked the overhead blow just in time. For a few moments, the two foes glared at each other as beads of sweat ran down their foreheads. But the glare was soon broken when Sir Aaron used his opponent's own strength against him by shoving him hard off the thin shield of his sword.

His opponent now stood across from him, regarding his stance. Sir Aaron could just barely hear the slow pulsing of his breath. Seeing no immediate danger, he sheathed the sword. He then relaxed, closing his eyes as warmth spread into his palms, growing in intensity with each passing second.

A lightning bolt encircled his hands. His eyes flashed gold as electricity crackled around him. The stench of burning cloth reached his nose as the circle of lightning brushed his sleeves. His opponent, bizarrely, seemed to remain calm as Sir Aaron began making circular motions with his hands.

Lightning shot out, glorious and fearsome all at once. Sir Aaron placed both hands into this attack, slowly feeling his energy ebbing away. He glared at his foe, knowing full well that no one could be quick enough to dodge this attack.

Still, his foe was calm as the lightning came toward him. For a few moments, all time seemed to slow down. He watched with widened eyes as his opponent calmly moved his arms in a slow circle, the rapier coming to rest at the very point where the lightning would strike.

_BZZT!_

The Lightning Redirection Technique! He knew that skill from long ago, back when unarmed combat was the norm. But it was a primitive thing compared to what he had just seen, only able to redirect an electric attack to a spot where it would not nearly be as fatal. But with the enhanced power of the strange rapier, his opponent had somehow been able to send the blast right back at him!

He rolled to the side, gasping in pain as the lightning singed his right shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his opponent charge again. He licked his lips and waited for just the right moment to dodge.

But he was not quick enough.

The crackling rapier found its mark: his right shoulder. Before he could so much as look at the blood he knew was pouring out, something ripped through him, setting his nerves on fire. He screamed, thrashing against the weapon embedded within his shoulder as the rapier released what seemed like an endless supply of electricity into his body. His eyes watered, his blood boiled, and his flesh screamed for an end.

Suddenly, it was gone. The pain disappeared. A warm wetness spread out from his shoulder where the rapier had been removed. He fell to the ground, where he lay twitching from the pain. He felt his spirit lifting and for a moment wondered if he was dying again. The last thing he heard before he disappeared into the nothingness before him was but one word, said by three different voices…

"CAM!"

* * *

The Mushroom Kingdom had grown and prospered in the seven years it took for Queen Peach and her husband, Prince Consort Mario Mario, to rebuild it. While many of the Toad lives that had been lost during the Second Subspace War could never be replenished, the pair had instead turned to the assistance of former slaves. Many Smashvillians had chosen to pick up and begin new lives in various different Kingdoms from Hyrule to Altea.

She was a happy woman. From the moment she laid the first cornerstone of what would later become one of the first houses in the New Mushroom Kingdom to the day she officially knighted Miles, Luigi, and Sakura, she had been smiling. Her husband had been very supportive of her every endeavor and nothing pleased her more than the moments she was now able to spend with him, making up for the precious time lost during their century long separation.

There was time for mourning, of course. Peach had lost many friends during the war, including the famed bounty huntress Samus Aran. She had personally erected a monument to the many lives that were lost in her garden and every day, as she wheeled Mario out to walk with him, she would always stop in front of it and bow her head.

There was also something else, however, that would occasionally wipe the smile clean off her face. It was her husband's injuries, the irreversible paralysis from the waist down. It had been a cruel twist of fate, a punishment from the Gods that was quite honestly worse than death. In all but a few seconds, Mario had been cruelly reduced to a mere shadow of himself, a hero that would never rise again. Although Mario never showed it, he too was grieving the death of a hero.

Peach now sat in her throne room, ready to meet a delegation from Altea. Queen Nask had been keeping good relations with the Mushroom Kingdom ever since she ascended the throne. In order to help both Kingdom's failing economies, the Queens had set up a trade route that encompassed both Kingdoms, as well as the now prospering Kingdom of Hyrule, the City of Smashville, the Continent of Tellius, and the Lylat System. Their friendship had grown from there and Peach was quite thankful that Nask had even sent in a delegation of Altean Archers to defend her while the main Protectors of the Mushroom Kingdom were away.

"How much longer will she be?" Peach asked, turning to the tall African American male standing to the left of her throne. Miles, former Guardian of Sonic, sent her a kind smile and shrugged.

Miles had worked hard over the past seven years at becoming a great knight once his job in Smashville was over. It had been one of Peach's crowning moments when she proudly touched the young man's shoulders with her saber and declared him a full-fledged Knight of the Order of the Mushroom. Despite being given the opportunity to be knighted as well, Sonic opted to instead go home to South Island to help it rebuild. He and Miles stayed in constant contact, usually challenging each other to races at least twice a week.

Thanks to the special bond he had forged with the Blue Blur of Speed, he had gained control over the infinite bounds of Chaos Energy, able to utilize them when the time arose. Using such abilities tired him out, however, and he much preferred to rely on his own knightly skills and the speed he also inherited from the hedgehog.

To Peach's right, Prince Consort Mario Mario reached out and gently touched her hand. "It will be fine, Peachy. Naskara should be here soon." the portly plumber allowed a small smile to cross his features. "That is… if she is currently not sleeping her life away!"

Peach smiled at his little joke, glad that even in the midst of all this trouble, her husband still possessed the amazing sense of humor she knew and loved. She tucked a lock of her golden hair—now slightly streaked with gray—behind her ear and smoothed out her ornate pink dress. If she was going to receive Nask, she was going to receive her in the way best she could.

Suddenly, the trumpets sounded outside. Peach's eyes widened, her back straightening as the doors of her throne room opened. As the party entered, her eyes were immediately drawn to the young woman walking at the head of it, a great smile spreading across her face. It took all of her training as Queen to prevent herself from leaping off her throne and embracing this woman then and there.

The young woman's long blonde hair, sky blue eyes, and winning smile lightened the old queen's heart. Swathed in a white t-shirt and black combat pants, little about her had changed in the years long passed. The Guardian of Peach, Sakura, had chosen to assist Luigi in protecting the Mushroom Kingdom and the worlds beyond. The past seven years had brought little change to her appearance, but great changes to the way she fought. From the rumors Peach often listened to, she was now able to wield the power of light, utilizing it in combat whenever she was in trouble. She and Luigi worked well as a team, though their antics often worried the Queen, especially when they fooled around in Bowser's old castles, where lava still flowed freely.

Second to enter was Luigi himself, shoulder and arm guards glistening proudly in the light of the Mushroom Kingdom sun. The past seven years had brought great changes to the green clad plumber, namely the responsibility of protecting the Kingdom in his brother's stead. Luigi had truly grown as a warrior and a man, and it was spoken by many Toads that the younger Mario Brother's abilities surpassed Mario's own. In spite of this, however, Luigi remained humble in his ways and—on more than one occasion—was often caught lamenting the loss of bubbly and headstrong Daisy Toadstool.

Then came a pair of young men, both of them with beam katanas strapped to their backs. MS, Guardian of Mario, and Green, Guardian of Luigi, had opted to travel around the world, helping wherever they could. While Mario and Luigi had been extremely sad to see their respective Guardians go, it had soothed them to know that the two would write whenever they could. Now, seeing them for the first time in seven years, Peach couldn't help but allow a few tears to fall as Mario grasped her hand. MS, with his messy brunette hair and shining sunglasses, and Green, with his better kept black hair and light brown eyes, wore matching grins as they bowed low before Peach.

"… MS… Green… Sakura…" her voice quavered as she whispered their names. "I… oh, it's been so long…"

"Why does nobody pay attention to Weegee?" Luigi cried, earning a laugh from everyone. It had been an ongoing joke to initially ignore the new Hero of the Mushroom Kingdom when they got together.

"Say Green, did you hear anything?" MS asked, elbowing his friend in the ribs.

Green snorted. "Yeah, I think it was the wind. It's complaining about that stubble you decided to grow." he raised his voice a pitch. "Oh, oh MS! I hate your stubble! It's ugly and dumb and makes you even less handsome than Green!"

MS elbowed him again. "I think the wind's complaining more about you ripping off my katanas. My stubble is _awesome_!"

Sakura snorted. "If awesome was another word for gross, then yes. Your stubble is awesome."

MS pretended to be offended. "Well, excuuuuuse me, prin-"

"Come on now, guys," Miles said, coming down the steps to greet his old friends. "Much as I would love making fun of MS and his stubble, there's some business that has to be done, right?" he looked over to the door, as if expecting someone else. "Did Nask come?"

Peach only had time to wheel Mario down to the group of Guardians before a new person entered, this one swathed in a coat of royal blue and clad in glittering armor. A golden circlet topped the all too familiar mane of dark red hair, not nearly able to hide the prominent scar over the gray film that was once a left eye. Queen Nask of Altea, Guardian of Marth, had lost the sight in her left eye after the Second Subspace War. Undeterred, she and her brother, the Guardian of Snake, had resolved to put everything they had into the rebuilding of Altea, whereupon Nask hoped that it would one day become a Republic.

"Nask!" Peach cried as she finished embracing Luigi and the other Guardians. "It has been too long!"

Queen Nask smiled, tilting her head slightly. "Yes. Yes it has." she cleared her throat. "I left Marth to watch over the throne while I am gone, but I do not know how long it will be before his germophobia gets the better of him and he starts ordering more sanitizer than Altea can handle. So I'm going to have to make this visit quick. Then I need to get back and deal with a bunch of politics, throw some more people into lakes, maybe pass a few more laws regarding squirrel hunting…"

Sakura shook her head, long blonde hair swinging. "You weren't kidding when you said she's become a workaholic, guys." Green and MS both shrugged.

Nask allowed a small smile to cross her features. "Better a workaholic than a layabout."

"Better a layabout than a Green!" MS grinned.

"Better a Green than a MS," Green pointed out.

"Better a MS than a—"

"Oh, will you two stop?" Miles asked, rolling his eyes. "Obviously, better a Miles than an anything."

The two exchanged looks. "…. Naaaaah!"

Peach laughed. "Alright Nask, what is on the list of things to do today?"

Nask shook her head, her smile falling. "There is little that I wish to discuss in terms of trade… but instead, I come with a warning."

The room fell silent at her words. While peace had settled down, there had been rumors coming from Smashville of a strange cult that often chanted of something called The Awakening under their breath. As far as Peach knew, the influence of this cult had thankfully not yet touched her Kingdom. Even if it did, she had little to worry about with Luigi, Sakura, and Miles always on the watch for danger.

"What is it, Nask?" Mario asked, leaning forward slightly in his wheelchair.

Nask sighed, her nostrils flaring slightly as she did so. "The cult in Smashville… neither Marth nor I have any idea how, but they somehow managed to relocate to Altea. They now seek converts as we speak, calling for the downfall of the Guardians." she paused. "They do not worship Tabuu, however… and there have already been at least three assassination attempts against me, and even more on Marth."

There was a collective shudder through the group. It was not unheard of for a ruler to have his or her life in danger. In fact, six assassination attempts had been apprehended by Miles before Peach was officially crowned Queen. All six of them, bizarrely, could easily be traced back to a certain cult…

What did she know about this cult? Peach frowned, furrowing her brow deep in thought as the others talked. She searched her memories, bringing up interrogations from the very few junior members that were taken alive and the extremely vague reports sent to her from all over the universe…

The cult had emerged during the Years In Between, not long before Tabuu took Smashville for himself. They had come out of the darkest corners of the world, whispering the name of the Hated One all across the lands. They were his Secret Police, spies within Smashville that took secret messages of what the Smashers were planning to Tabuu so that the Subspace Lord could formulate a plan to defeat them. It had been because of them that the group Mario led had been so easily defeated.

Very slowly, they helped Tabuu divide and conquer the Smashers. Upon learning the fate of Mario's group, Master Hand had left a small group of Smashers to defend the mansion while he and the remaining ones fled to Mount Smash. There, they hoped to come up with a plan to free the others and save the Smash World.

But this cult had spies everywhere, even within the Mount Smash Base itself. For it was through some form of treachery that the Smashers' plans were revealed and once again, they had been defeated. Peach remembered quite well that when she had been sent into battle, it took Tabuu only a few seconds to rip her soul away from her body and imprison her within a magically sealed glass jar.

From what she had been able to gather from Pit, the last Smasher to fall, the cult had been there on the battlefield when he alone took his final stand against Tabuu. And it was the cult that had been rewarded with many riches when Tabuu finally seized power. They had been the ones working for the Hated One behind the scenes, spreading his poison to all the corners of the universe so that all would one day fall beneath Tabuu's iron fist.

Tabuu's fall had also brought along the fall of the cult. Master Hand had sent the Guardians out and around the world to search for the members and bring them to justice. While a majority of the less-than-capable members had indeed been caught, the most senior ones had managed to flee.

Red had apprehended a senior member, however. But the man had bitten into a pill of cyanide before anything truly important could be learned. She could only gather from him that it was quite apparent that the cult no longer seemed to worship Tabuu. No, they now seemed to worship an evil far greater and more horrid than the Subspace Lord himself.

"The Breaking of Ties is what concerns me the most," Mario said, snapping Peach out of her thoughts. "What could it possibly mean? The ties between us as Smashers and Guardians had been severed long ago. And it would be impossible to turn us against each other without extreme mind-control techniques."

"That bit about the fire is what makes me the most nervous," Miles said. "Tabuu deployed an awful lot of fire techniques to subdue people under his rule. There's no telling what… what whatever this cult is bowing down to now with power like that."

"There is more," Nask said quietly, brushing a dark lock of hair away from her face. "… There are graves being excavated… consecrated grounds violated…"

"What?" Sakura asked. "Nask, are you saying that… dead bodies are being stolen?"

Nask nodded solemnly. "Yes. I have exchanged a few letters with Kai and Drake, who have been keeping tabs on those we were forced to bury during the war. Thus far… nearly every grave we placed down has been robbed."

"Captain Falcon's? Samus'? Meta Knight's?" Green asked in disbelief.

"Game and Watch's? Diddy's? Bowser Jr.'s?" MS continued.

Nask nodded at each one. "But there are more… some of the slaves that died during Tabuu's reign and those that perished not long after we defeated him… their graves had been robbed as well."

"But what does all of this mean?" Luigi asked. "There is nothing valuable in any of those graves… and Master Hand has said so himself that it is against every law in the universe to reanimate the dead…"

Peach's frown deepened at these words. She absorbed this new information and processed it carefully, trying to discern how in the world this strange cult could possibly be connected to the desecration of various graves. Furthermore, what connection could she possibly make between the desecrated graves, the cult, and The Storm that Toon Link and Squall had been fighting for the past seven years?

There was an ultimatum to these thoughts, however. There was something extremely dangerous lying in wait. It had waited for perhaps thousands of years to strike. And here, in a time when everyone thought peace had settled at last, it was going to emerge. It was going to emerge and strike at the heart of the Smashers and Guardians themselves.

She remembered interrogating one of the more fanatical Junior Cultists, trying her best to fight through all of his ramblings and twitching. He had done nothing but mumble on and on about how easily a friend could turn against a friend. About how simple it would be to destroy the bonds that had been forged over the years between the Guardians, the Smashers, and the Citizens of Smashville. About how a Civil War could very, very easily break out among them…

There was a resolve within her, a bitter resolve that she knew she could not avoid. There was a new war approaching. And they could do nothing about it.

* * *

_He ran._

_His eyes watered._

_His chest heaved._

_She was back. How could she be back already? It had taken a god's power to bring her back last time. How could she have returned?_

_He didn't understand._

_He could've stayed back. He could've risen up and fought. He could've unleashed every weapon he had at his disposal on her. He could've been courageous, just like his Goddess._

_But like a coward, he ran._

_Pure white wings stretched out, desperately clawing to find a gust of wind to ride. A rumble sounded behind him as he attempted again and again to allow his wings to lift him from the ground, to feel the blessing of his dear Goddess upon him. He concentrated on life and happiness, on humanity and immortality, on the Miracle of Flight…_

_He cursed himself._

_"Where is your Goddess now, Icarus?" his pursuer cackled. "Aren't you going to call for your precious Palutena to save you?"_

_A tendril crawled up his leg, slimy scales pressing against his skin. He screamed, thrashing as it wound its way around him and squeezed, sending him hurtling to the ground. He writhed some more as he tried to throw it off, only for more tendrils to shoot out and encase his arms, his other leg, his face…_

_His pursuer pulled him in, cackling. He could feel himself slowly being lifted into the air, unable to flail or scream because of the hold of the tendrils. He held very still, keeping his breathing even, desperately fighting to keep down the fear flailing about in him like a storm._

_He defiantly looked away as he was lifted, knowing full well that one look could end him forever. His pursuer cackled again, tantalizingly swaying him as he continued to look away. Shivers ran down his spine, his breath caught in his throat. He felt his heartbeat in his ears, his enemy's breath trickling down his neck. He bit his bottom lip, desperately praying to his Goddess to show Her divine grace._

_"It's hopeless, you know," his hated enemy purred. "The way you continually defy me. Don't you know that all of your efforts, all of the cute little battles you fight… they're hopeless?"_

_"I've defeated you… twice!" he spat. "And I can sure as hell beat you again!"_

_His foe laughed, a truly deep and evil sound. "Please, angel. How can you beat me if doing so will turn your precious little Guardian against you?" another laugh. "Touch me and cute little Psyche will rip your stupid wings off!"_

_He froze. "N-No… she would never…"_

_"Do you really, truly believe that?" the voice was different now. Deeper, more masculine, and all around kinder. In spite of this, however, he could still feel the essence of his enemy left in this voice. The kind tone was a mask to hide the ancient evil within. "Do you truly believe that when it all comes down to you and me, she'll pick you, the one whose burdensome soul she was supposed to carry all those years ago?"_

_"She doesn't know you…" his voice was hushed, almost a sob. "No one alive knows her… better than I…"_

_Another laugh. More hissing. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as his enemy leaned in closer, acidic breath corroding his face._

_"Ah, silly angel, how little you understand. Do you not remember those two boys she always used to think about? Her fool of a cousin and her spineless worm of a friend?"_

_"They're dead…" his voice broke at the words, guilt washing over him as he whispered them. "Takashi… Austin… they're dead…" he gritted his teeth as his captor slowly lifted him up even higher. "And… she'll never pick you over me. You're not Takashi… you're not Austin…"_

_The laugh echoed again. "That's where you're wrong, Pit." he was thrust forward, forced to gaze into all too familiar eyes of deep brown, tainted yellow with purest evil._

_"I _am_ Austin."_


	4. Tom

Tom, Herald of Fear

**A/N: Finally, eh? I'll just save the apologies and such and just let you get to the story. Hopefully, next update won't take nearly as damn long...**

* * *

"What am I doing here?"

Her voice echoed all around the Plains of Smashville, gently cradled by the wind. She lifted up her hand to her forehead, shading her eyes from the bright Smashville sun. A gentle wind brushed up against her hair.

In the seven years that had passed, Kage had grown as a warrior and a person. Compared to the thin slave girl seven years ago, the Guardian of ROB had grown into a tall and confident young woman. Her hair was still worn long, swept up in a make-shift bandana. Clear eyes, bright like the stars, blinked up at the skies above. She leaned precariously on a cane, her foot twisted strangely due to a Smashball related injury sustained long before she discovered who she was and the role she had been forced to play in the Guardians War.

Footsteps sounded behind her. Turning around, Kage caught sight of a familiar face. He was a tall young man, with silvery hair tied into a ponytail, topped with a white witch's hat, encircled by a golden band. He wore a black dress shirt under a white sleeveless trench coat, with a tall collar and golden triangular shoulder guards. His deep violet eyes contrasted starkly with his white pants and whitewood sandals. Completing the look was a silver and gold jeweled cane and a pair of riding goggles worn atop the hat, giving him the look of some eccentric billionaire which, if Kage had read his letters right, he was.

"Eclipse!" she gasped, hobbling forward to embrace her fellow Guardian. When the rebuilding in Smashville was done, Eclipse had taken it upon himself to expand Wario Wares to the other known worlds. He had engaged in little correspondence with anyone. It was assumed by most, including Kage herself, that he had been kept quite busy.

"Kage," he muttered when they broke apart, grinning from ear to ear. "It has been too long."

"We were starting to get worried about you," Kage told him, her excitement of his return evident on her face. "Most of us sent _tons_ of letters your way, but almost none of them were replied to, and-"

Eclipse held up a hand. "I know… and I'm sorry. But I can't tell you why I haven't been around here and why I haven't answered any of your guys' letters. It's confidential information and… well, let's just say that things are looking to be troublesome… anyways, allow me to introduce you to someone."

For the first time, Kage noticed the little girl clinging to Eclipse's leg. She was a pretty little thing, with pale skin and light blue eyes. She wore a blue minidress and mary janes, the outfit doing little to hide the white wings neatly folded on her back. Her hair, tied into twin pigtails, was also light blue.

"Kage, meet my daughter, Martel," Eclipse said, his expression softening as he looked down at her.

Kage smiled. "Hello, Martel. Guess you already know that my name's Kage. I'm the Guardian of ROB."

The girl blushed slightly and hid her face.

Eclipse shook his head. "She's shy, but we're working on it."

Kage raised an eyebrow. "We?"

Eclipse cleared his throat. "Yes… y-you remember Mima, don't you?"

Kage rolled her eyes. "How could I forget? When you weren't being accused of being Tabuu Spawn, you were yelling at Mima and Wario to- oh Eclipse, I'm so sorry…"

There was a visible sag in her fellow Guardian's shoulders, as if a great weight had just fallen upon them. The garlic-eating plumber, Eclipse's Smasher, had been rarely mentioned by anyone ever since his death. In spite of his seemingly selfish and arrogant demeanor, Wario had sacrificed himself to save Eclipse. It had been an unprecedented move, one that Eclipse could only dream about thanking his Smasher for.

Eclipse shook his head. "Don't be. We have had seven years to mourn our losses. Now is the time to-" his breath hitched suddenly. Kage blinked as he whirled around and looked over his shoulder. "What was that?"

"What was what?" the former Guardian of ROB asked in confusion.

"That noise," Eclipse replied. As he spoke, the air around them seemed to grow colder.

"Noise?" Kage asked in confusion. She was never one to pay too much attention to her surroundings, yet she was almost positive that whatever Eclipse heard was little more than the rushing of the wind around them.

"That noise," Eclipse repeated, tilting his head slightly as if to somehow increase his chances of hearing it again. "You heard it too, didn't you Martel?"

The little girl frowned and shook her head.

"But… but surely one of you must have heard it," Eclipse protested, whirling around suddenly to look over his shoulder. "There it is again!" his voice rose in pitch. "Mima hears it too! Surely one of you must have heard it this time!"

Kage and Martel exchanged looks. Eclipse had been slightly prone to paranoia during the Guardians War, so this was almost normal for Kage. However, she had lost touch with the former Guardian of Wario after he left for his old home to restart the business, which left Martel and Eclipse himself to fill in the gaps.

"Something's coming!" Eclipse whispered, wringing his hands fervently. "Something's coming! It's approaching! Coming closer… so close…"

"Dad?" Martel whispered, trembling slightly. Her voice was bell-like. It seemed to pierce the very air itself. "Dad, why are you acting so weird…?"

"Oh God..." Eclipse whispered, deaf to the cries of his daughter. "Oh God, oh God, it's him..."

There wasn't much to say. Kage bit her lip as Eclipse fell to his knees, whispering a single name that she did not recognize. From the look on Martel's face, there was no doubt the little girl did not understand what her father was saying either.

"Tom, Tom, Tom..."

"Eclipse?" Kage asked. "Who's Tom?"

"Tom... Oh my God, Tom's coming..." Eclipse grabbed his head, trembling like a leaf. "I can feel it! Mima can too!"

"I don't understand, Papa..." Martel whispered. "You said... you said..."

"I KNOW WHAT I SAID!" Eclipse roared. "But... there's no other explanation! These things... these things I see... they can only be- HURK!"

He lurched backwards, hands clawing at his throat. Kage and Martel stared in horror as he struggled against some invisible force, grabbing at thin air and struggling desperately to throw whatever it was that was choking him off. Martel let out a scream, running forward and placing her hands on Eclipse in a desperate bid to save him. Before she could chant a spell or do anything to assist him, she was thrown back by a mysterious wind, the maniacal laughter of someone far away filling the air. Kage ran forward and caught her just in time.

Eclipse's face turned blue, contrasting starkly with his pure white hair. His hands, stark white, clutched around something in the air and shook it, as if trying to confuse it long enough to throw it off. Not knowing what else to do, Kage concentrated on it and allowed a faint heat to build up behind her eyes.

She had not used this ability in so long, not since they failed to resurrect their fallen comrade, ROB. Tabuu had crushed the Smasher in their final battle, and though the Guardians did everything they could, they could only ever reconstruct the robot's body. The very essence of ROB, what made the sentient robot so special, was gone forever. They still tried, of course, to reawaken what once was, but as the days, months, and years passed, hope grew smaller and smaller.

She let out a laser, bright red, and burning. Her eyes watered slightly, as she concentrated with all her might on keeping the beam going. It evidently found its mark, as just as it was about to slice through Eclipse's neck, it hit what seemed like some kind of invisible barrier. A thin trail of smoke curled into the air, the rank stench of burning flesh reached Kage's nose. Next to her, Martel whimpered as something thick and black began to form, shedding whatever invisibility spell it had been hiding behind.

Then someone swore.

"What was that!?" Martel asked, trembling. Before Kage could answer, a true horror appeared before her.

The first thing they saw was the tendril. It was thick and black and seemed to dance in the air, writhing and twisting as Kage's laser relentlessly blasted into it. It let go of Eclipse's throat, allowing the former Guardian of Wario to dash away before it could come down on him again. As Kage's laser fizzled out, the tendril seemed to grow longer and longer, reveling in its twisted dance. The longer it danced, the more tentacles appeared, until it seemed like there were a thousand of those things, just writing and twisting all about.

Kage tasted bile in her mouth, her stomach churning at the sight of such disgusting nest of limbs. The tentacles all seemed to have a mind of their own, as they slithered about like snakes, seemingly hissing at their surroundings. Kage readied herself, already prepared to launch another- albeit weaker- laser at the mass. Next to her, Eclipse twirled his cane, as if preparing to cast a spell. Martel, meanwhile, fingered a pendant she wore around her neck, all the while quickly scanning the mass of tentacles, as if knowing there was something she should be looking for.

"I-I know you're there!" Eclipse shouted. "I know you're there and let me just say, I thought you were dead!"

At first, there was no answer. Then, the tendrils began to transform. Some of them elongated, reaching the other side of the fields, and widened. They became fluid in nature, shrouding the three in a dome of purest black. As Kage's eyes darted back and forth, she could not help but notice numerous streaks of red in this black prison. These streaks of red looked and moved horribly like veins.

The dome seemed to be alive. It pulsed slowly, like a gigantic heart. With each beat, the red streaks seemed to grow and shrink, a strange fluid inside them moving downwards. Kage's own heart pounded wildly as she spun around, trying desperately to find the way out. But no matter where she looked, she saw only an endless stretch of black.

"OH MY GOD!" Martel shrieked suddenly, pointing at a spot above her. Eclipse and Kage quickly turned in the direction she was pointing, ready to strike at any time.

Suspended above them was a boy, hanging in a transparent black and red cocoon. He was naked, curled up into a fetal position, his bare skin glowing white in the darkness. His light brown locks mingled with a million strange, black, and thorny vines in his red prison. The thorns seemed to dig deep into his scalp and as Kage watched, they pulsed slightly, as if absorbing something from him. The boy's eyes remained closed and yet, horrible though his prison seemed to be, his expression was peaceful. Had the circumstances not been so terrible, Kage would've thought him to be sleeping.

"Tom," Eclipse whispered, his eyes widening in horror at the sight. "It really is him."

Before Kage could answer, another scream from Martel shook her out of her trance. For all over the cocoon of this strange boy, she could see small, skittering bodies. One by one, these skittering bodies produced threads and slowly lowered themselves to the ground. Millions of these skittering things arrived and dropped, until the cocoon itself was nearly hidden from view.

"Spiders!" Kage shrieked, jumping in fright as she felt tiny, hairy legs crawling up her body. She shook her arms and feet, trying desperately to shake them off, but it was of no use. The spiders were relentless in their pursuit of her, as more and more piled onto her until she could no longer tell the difference between her own skin and these horrible, warped arachnids. The shuffling of the spiders was deafening, only helped by Martel's and Kage's screams of fear.

"KAGE! MARTEL!" Eclipse shouted over the din. "Where are you!? Answer me!"

Kage opened her mouth, but the only sound that came out was a low, menacing hiss. Suddenly, she felt her body, long and powerful, dancing to some kind of unknown tune. Her green scales- the patches that could be seen under the spiders- shone. She tried to scream in horror, but only managed another hiss as she writhed desperately, both to shake off the spiders and to make sure that this body was truly hers. She called for Martel, for her friend Eclipse, for her fallen Smasher...

In front of her, she saw a monster. Tall, dark, with glittering white teeth about as long as her arm (did she still have arms period?). It was extremely large and hulking, its single eye rolled about in the center of its forehead. She tasted its stench with her tongue. It was horrid, like rotting cheese and corpses. This monster turned to her, its single eye narrowing in anger? Fear? It didn't matter. She had to strike now, and soon.

She lunged.

* * *

Mah pushed her long brunette hair out of her face and sighed. Two hours of sitting up in the same tree and still, her target was nowhere in sight. She and her younger sister, Beeh, had been assigned to follow certain individuals on the suspicion that they were up to no good. Down below them, Yoshi and Fox had silently spread out so as to gaze intently at the spot they were watching.

Seven years had been kind to her. Her tan skin, once covered in muck and grime from working in the Smashball factories, now shown with a healthy glow. Her deep brown eyes, sharp like the thin blade she held in her hand, scanned the lush field. She lifted a thin hand and carefully shielded her eyes from the bright Smashville sun, taking extra care not to let her eyes wander away from her viewing point.

"I still can't believe this, Mah," Beeh whispered, wringing her slightly chubby hands together. She had grown to look quite a lot like her older sister, save for the lack of red tips on her hair. "Out of all the people at the mansion, why him?"

Mah shook her head. "If there's anything we learned from Tabuu, it's that people can become our enemies at any second…" there was a hint of bitterness in her voice, one that she was obviously trying to hide.

Beeh frowned. "… You're thinking of her again, aren't you? Of Heather?"

Mah took a deep breath. While she had not been particularly close to the Guardian of Wolf, she had respected her somewhat for her fighting skill. Heather's defection to Tabuu's side had hit her greatly, however, and though she later learned about the Blood Pact- a binding contract that would cause the death of those close to the signer if not fulfilled- Heather had been placed under, her betrayal still hurt nonetheless. She let out her breath and smiled down at Beeh, brown eyes filled with sadness.

Beeh took her silent reply and frowned again. "But… it's already been seven years… and I didn't think you'd-" she was interrupted by her sister's hand clamping over her mouth.

Mah's eyes found a small green hand as it gave her a tiny wave. Yoshi's eyes locked with hers, the dinosaur's lips pulling into a small smile as he began making small but quick gestures with his hands. She read them silently, her lips moving to form words as she did so.

Two people were coming. One of them was their target, the other was an unexpected extra. Mah bit her bottom lip. If the time when they needed to strike came, the "extra" would be an extreme inconvenience.

Over the crest of the hill, they saw two figures emerging. As their voices carried over to their hiding spot, Mah and Beeh couldn't help but notice that the voices sounded as if they were arguing. One of them seemed to be attempting to coax something, while the other voice- the one that belonged to their target- was being as evasive and defensive as could be.

"What is he doing with him?" Beeh asked. "This wasn't part of the plan at all…"

Mah placed a finger to her lips and gestured to the two approaching figures. Now was not the time to blow their cover. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yoshi inch closer to the bush he was hiding behind, forcing his young Guardian to bite back the warning she was about to whisper to him. Blinking twice to steady her vision, she concentrated on the two figures as they came into view, her breath coming out in an even, pulsing rhythm so that her nervousness would not give them away.

"I don't care if you're coming out here to strip naked and dance like a drunken idiot!" a gruff voice said angrily. "You're treading into the wrong territory, kid!"

"I told you, already, I'm coming here to meditate a bit," an ice cold voice shot back.

Mah saw Yoshi and Beeh shiver slightly at the sound of that voice, realizing that she herself was also quivering. It was horrible, the way this voice- once so warm and kind- had changed over the past seven years. It was as if the owner of this voice had been killed, murdered and replaced by something that was like him in so many ways, but all too different…

"Meditating," the gruff voice repeated, disbelief shining through. "Meditating… in front of _her_ grave?"

"She's dead, you miserable, love-sick fool," the cold voice replied cruelly. "And you need to get over i-"

Wolf O'Donnell, former Commander of Star Wolf and Smasher of Heather Wolfon, let out a snarl. It was one unlike any Mah had ever heard before. This one was full of anger and hate, backed up with the pain and misery of the life Wolf had lost during the war. He had loved his Guardian, loved her unlike anyone he had met before. And in a single blow from an arrow, she had been taken from him. Ripped away like so many others the Guardians had touched in their lifetime.

Mah vaguely remembered how Wolf had spent the majority of the seven years training. Training to protect the lives of those whom Heather had sacrificed for. Never a single day would pass when he would be found blasting at targets or ripping through training dummies or even flying through the air in his Wolfen. And when he wasn't training, Mah knew, he was visiting Heather's grave. He could spend days there, without even knowing it. Smashers and Guardians alike often had to bring him food and water, to prevent him from dying in his own misery.

"Don't you _dare_-" Wolf began, only to be caught off by his companion.

"Don't I dare what?" a cold laugh rang through the air. Mah shivered yet again as an image of the long-dead Subspace Lord flashed within her mind. That laugh sounded so much like his, except…

She couldn't stand it anymore. She had been assigned by Master Hand to watch the area where Heather's grave stood, as he had suspected that someone was coming to defecate it. She had been given no other information other than that. Steeling herself for the worst, she shifted forward, peeking out from behind the leaves that covered her just enough to catch a brief glimpse of their target.

Red, the Pokemon Master.

"You… you've changed," Wolf whispered. "You've changed, kid, and I don't like it…"

"We've all changed, Wolf," the cold Pokemon Master replied. "All of us… we've changed. But for better or for worst? Well, I believe that's up to the eyes of the beholder."

"It's more than that, kid," Wolf said, "So, so much more…"

"Get out of here, Wolf," Red spat. "You've spent the past seven years doing nothing but mourning her. It's high time that you move on and get over it."

Wolf's glare hardened. "There is no 'getting over' her, kid."

"Not for you, maybe," Red said lightly. "But frankly, she annoyed me anyways. What, with the whole anger management thing-"

Mah let out a gasp as Wolf crouched down and made a lunge for the Pokemon Master. Red remained calm, simply side-stepping to dodge the enraged lupine. Wolf's claws ripped into the earth, angry foam dripped from his snout. But before he could so much as get to his feet, Red had already applied a powerful kick to his snout.

"I don't see what your problem is, Wolf," Red said coldly. "But I do know this: you're obsessed. If you knew her as well as you thought you did, you would've seen it- her betrayal- coming. You would've found a way to stop it. She almost killed Cam _and_ Link before anyone got through to her." he spat on Wolf. "Who knows? If you had actually figured out something, rather than just sit there and moan like some sick little puppy, you _could've_ prevented her death..."

"You've... changed," Wolf whispered. He shakily got to his feet. "You've changed, kid..."

"He has," Beeh whispered to Mah fearfully. "Mah, he's changed so much..."

"So I have," Red said quietly. His gaze shifted for a moment to Heather's grave, then back to Wolf. "But what exactly are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to tell the others," Wolf said determinedly.

"You do that."

"They'll stop you!"

"I'd like to see them try."

"You'll be kicked out! Made to wander around in whatever region you were in before you came here until the end of your days!"

"With that cult running about, I'm guessing they'll need all the help they can get." Red's eyes glinted. "Let's face it, Wolf... I'm one of their best tacticians. If anyone knows battle strategies, it's me.

Mah looked around and caught Fox's eyes. The vulpine nodded for a moment as he reached for his holstered gun. But before he could draw and shoot, Wolf was gone. Obviously, he had run off to the mansion, to warn the others. That left the small group of Yoshi, Mah, Beeh, and Fox and Red, who stood in the clearing. Red, who- they hoped- believed he was alone.

Red knelt in front of Heather's grave, hiding his face from their view. Mah leaned a little further out, squinting her eyes in order to see what he was doing. For a few long minutes, Red simply sat there, like a statue, as if listening for something.

Then, he spoke. "The coast is clear. You can show yourself now."

At first, nothing happened. Then, a thin trail of what looked like smoke curled up from Heather's grave. This trail grew into a tendril, then thickened into a plume. The plume of smoke paused for a second before it began to take form, shaping itself into the image of what looked like a young man.

"I found a couple of idiots on the Plains," the shadowy boy spoke in a low, cold voice. "Two former Guardians and some stupid kid."

"And?" Red asked impatiently, crossing his arms. "I hope you haven't killed them. You were giving specific instructions not to-"

"Relax, Pokeboy," the shadow drawled. "I just messed with their heads a bit. Spiders, hallucinations, the works."

"Hmph," Red shook his head. "Are you at least prepared? Your time is nearly here. Once Austin-"

"I know," the shadow interrupted. "And I'm ready as always."

"Make sure they don't suspect too much," Red said lightly. "The plan will go to waste if you are not prepared to strike when needed." he paused. "And refrain from the nightmare fuel. You can give them nightmares, but until you're allowed to strike, don't do anything more than that."

"I feed on their fears, Pokeboy," the shadow laughed. "A nightmare here and there will be more than enough to keep me satisfied..." something of a smile formed on its dark face. "Those Guardians and Smashers will never know what hit 'em. I can't wait to start fucking with them."

"Funny," Red said. "I do believe you can start 'fucking with them' soon."

"Other than those three idiots I found there on the plains?"

"Oh yes, in fact..." Red turned towards Mah, his icy blue eyes burning deep into her soul. "There's a group of four right over there."

* * *

Mars stooped down and touched the wrist of the still figure before him. From the moment he and his fellow pilots heard shouting from a floor above them, they knew that they had found their old friend Cam. What they didn't expect when the three ran upstairs, however, was their old friend Cam standing over the dead or unconscious form of some random guy with blue glasses.

"Nasty stab wound right there," he muttered, gingerly passing a hand over the red stain on the unconscious young man's shoulder. "And looks like you gave him quite the shock too."

"I had to," Cam answered him as Eric carefully bandaged some of his wounds. "The guy literally attacked me for no damn reason."

"Will he be okay?" Aly asked. She had picked up the golden hilted sword that was lying near the body and was in the process of examining it. "Huh… not a bad weapon. Sharp, lightweight, and pretty nice-looking." she frowned as her eyes found the sapphire on the hilt of the sword. "But… a heavy jewel like this would seriously weigh it down…"

Mars hid a smile. Aly had learned a great deal about weapons over the years, not just guns. While it was true that in flight, he was the master tactician of the three, it had to be said that when it came down to one-on-one combat, you could always count on Aly to discern the best weapon to use against a lance or an axe or even a gun.

"What I want to know is… did you seriously use a Lightning Redirection Technique against this guy?" Eric asked in slight wonder. It took a great warrior to be able to learn the technique, let alone be able to use it properly in combat. Although, it came as no surprise that the Guardian of Ike picked up a trick or two from his Smasher while he was helping to rebuild Tellius.

Cam shrugged, unable to hide his wince as pain shot up from within him. "I-It hurt… like Hell, it hurt… but in the end, I got him, right?"

Mars let out a small sigh. "Yeah, you got him… and we better wake him up before he becomes a vegetable…"

"On it!" Aly said cheerfully, pulling out her canteen. One spray of water later, the person on the ground was sputtering and coughing in surprise. Mars watched him, his hand trailing to his gun holster in case he should spring.

"A-Ah!" the young man sputtered, wiping the stray drops from his mouth. "Talk about a rude awakening!" he shot Aly a shaky grin. "M-Maybe next time you can use an alarm clock?"

Mars frowned down at this person. Could this be the very same young man whom Cam had claimed to have been attacked by? Other than how well-balanced the sword was, he didn't seem like that much of a threat. If anything, this kid was a moderate opponent at best. Maybe even a pushover.

Mars had always been one to judge harshly.

"You sure this guy attacked you out of nowhere?" Aly asked, turning to Cam. The Guardian of Ike nodded emphatically, wincing as Eric applied a salve to his wound. "Definitely him, alright. You should've seen him, bloody crouching in front of me like some kind of-"

"W-Whoa there!" the young man interrupted. "I don't know what you're talking about, but as far as I know, I didn't attack you… or at least…" Mars couldn't help but notice that the obvious spark in his eye was gone. It was as if someone had closed shutters behind these eyes. "I don't remember if I have… anyways, mind explaining to me who you guys are? Because seriously, I'm pretty sure I didn't order any room service…"

Mars calmly pressed his foot into the young man's chest, placing just enough pressure on it so he wouldn't be able to escape. "We'll do the asking around here, if you don't mind…"

"If you do, expect a bullet or two in your skull," Aly said lightly, tracing one of her guns. "I haven't shot at anything bigger than a bird in a _long_ time…"

The young man gulped. "W-Well… might as well get on a first-name basis with you guys, eh? Name's Matt."

"Matt," Mars repeated, committing the name to memory. "Well then, _Matt_, mind telling us how you got up here?"

"I… er… well, I guess you can say I just kinda… woke up here?" Matt did his best to shrug. "I know it sounds weird, but I seriously don't remember anything aside from waking up in here and thinking that this place smelled like the inside of some old lady's purse."

"Agreed," Eric muttered. Cam shot both of them a heavy glare.

Mars frowned. "… Don't know if I want to accept that answer, but I guess it isn't _that_ important right now…" he leaned forward, placing even more pressure on the young man's chest. Matt gasped in surprise as his breath was suddenly cut short, a flash of fear appearing from behind his eyes as this happened. Unwavering, Mars asked his next question.

"So… why'd you attack Cam?"

"… I don't know."

"Right, right, and I'm the King of Tellius!" Cam said indignantly. A gunshot and a yelped silenced the young mercenary. Aly blew on the smoking barrel of her gun and nodded at Mars to continue, shooting a warning look at Cam in the process.

"I don't know," Matt repeated. His brown eyes looked right into Mars' black ones through specs of blue plastic. "I don't know… I don't remember…"

Mars bit his bottom lip. "Do you remember ever attacking Cam in the first place?"

"Would _you_?" Matt shot back.

Mars rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I would remember if I decided to suddenly jump at the first idiot that ran into the-"

A giggle sliced through the air, its pitch high and cold. Mars felt a shiver running down its spine as it echoed throughout the spacious room. The former Guardian of Falco lifted his foot off their prisoner and turned in a slow circle, searching for the source of the strange noise. Unconsciously, he felt his hand move towards the staff hanging in a sheathe on his back, the gilded gold rod a gift to him from Master Hand for his services as a Guardian. Without thinking, he unsheathed this staff and activated it. The gem at the very top of the staff glowed green, ready to blast powerful bolts of electricity at any moment.

The echoing laugh continued, seeming to increase in pitch and volume with every passing second. It soon became a distorted clamor, as if several people were laughing all at once. Mars' head whipped around as he attempted to trace the source of this strange noise, dark eyes narrowing as he attempted to make out the form of a ghost, a projection, _anything_ to explain this!

"Over there!" Eric shouted, pointing to a nearby wall. The three pilots, Cam, and Matt whirled in that direction, gasping in surprise as a door suddenly materialized seemingly out of nowhere. Without a second thought, Mars charged at the door, splintering it with a single jump kick.

The room within was dark, a stark contrast to the light of the room before. As Mars eyes scanned the room- the horrid cackling still ringing in his ears- he couldn't help but notice that it was surrounded in high windows, similar to the ones in the previous room. But these windows were barred, as if declaring to the intruders that there was no way out.

The cackling had reached fever pitch now, echoing around the room and bogging Mars' senses. It seemed to take on the voice of thousands, rising and falling like the ocean tides. Mars' hands trembled as he lifted his staff, aiming for the rafters above.

"THERE!" Eric was first to shoot, unloading his pistol on something he saw up above. Mars squinted through the bright gunfire, the light from Eric's gun and the barred windows illuminating the place just enough for him to catch a small flash of white disappearing into the shadows above.

"Hehehehehehe..."

"I'm tired of this motherfucking giggling in this motherfucking tower!" Aly shouted angrily, pulling out her own guns and shooting at the rafters above. "We came here to answer a distress call and what did we find? A random kid that attacks an old friend and some kind of giggling ghost!"

The mere word made Mars' skin crawl. He had heard of haunted towers before, but he had always believed that, as the Goddess' Tower, the Tower of Guidance would be at least somewhat ghost-free. He knew of the many lives lost in its halls, heard stories from Cam of the horrors and tortures faced by numerous Laguz in its sacred rooms. Now, standing here at the very heart of the Tower itself, surrounded by naught but laughter, he couldn't help but wonder if it was this, not the workings of a madman that made the Laguz feral.

Mars shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He had to _concentrate_. If they were going to make it out alive, he had to remain focused. He studied the rafters, waiting for the opportune moment to strike...

"There!" Matt shouted.

Mars launched a plasma bolt of out his staff at the sudden flash of white, cursing as it slammed against a rafter. The giggles filled the air again, only this time, they were louder. Almost maniacal. They seemed to taunt the group down below, teasing the fact that no matter how hard they tried, they would never catch the culprit.

"Unload it all!" Aly ordered, shooting at the rafters. Eric and Mars observed her briefly, watching as she slowly started from one side of the room and began to gradually ease her way to the other. It was a classic tactic: force the foe into a corner and then let it rip. Mars and Eric added their own shots into the mix, while Matt and Cam kept a pair of watchful eyes on the rafters, in case their opponent did anything fun.

Finally, the white was in full view, and the three pilots held nothing back. Bullets and bolts whizzed through the air, slamming into the strange slip of white as it paused briefly in midair, being slammed with the powerful attacks until they finally stopped. The group watched as the strange white thing fluttered to the floor, riddled with bullet holes and who knows what else.

It was simply a white dress.

"The Hell?" Mars asked, glaring at it. "This is what we were shooting at?"

Aly frowned. "It can't be... there's gotta be something else..."

"I guess you guys didn't have a ghost of a chance at catching whatever it was," Matt joked, attempting to lighten up the mood. When his pun fell flat, he sighed. "Guess that wasn't very punny at all..."

"I don't get it," Eric muttered, toeing the dress gingerly. "If this was all we were shooting at then what-"

The laughter pierced the air again, its pitch risen into a near scream. It now sounded like a combination of a screeching cat and nails upon the blackboard. Mars covered his ears and closed his eyes, biting his lip desperately in an attempt to block out the horrible noise. But the more he struggled, the louder it became, until there was an invisible banshee in the room, screaming a lament at the top of her lungs.

Mars groaned, silently begging for the scream to stop. He felt it pierce his very soul, ripping through it like it was paper. It shook him to the very bone, and in his mouth, he could taste the coppery flavor of blood.

Suddenly, it stopped. The banshee's shriek was instead replaced by a shocked scream. For standing before him was a golden haired girl, who was standing behind Cam. The Guardian of Ike was choking, clutching feebly at the steel blade protruding from his chest.

* * *

"Pit?"

Seven years in Skyworld and she still called his name.

"Pit?"

Seven years in Skyworld and she had just learned to shoot a bow.

"Pit?"

Seven years in Skyworld and he still cared about her more than anyone in the world.  
"Yeah Psyche?"

His Guardian entered the library, light silver mail glittering slightly in the gentle light. Pit's breath caught slightly as he realized that she had put it on incorrectly, as it was bunched up a bit in certain places. In spite of this, however, he thought that she still looked the part of a warrior.

Seven years had not changed her at all. She was still much, much shorter than average and extremely thin. Her dark brown hair and deep brown eyes clashed gently with pasty white skin. She was still the stubborn, hot-headed girl that had borne the burden of his soul all those years ago. In spite of the fact that she had just learned to shoot a bow, she was still the great warrior she once was.

She just had to _remember_.

Seven years ago, Tabuu had brutally beaten the young woman, robbing her of the memory of the great adventure she shared with the angel. It had broken his heart to learn how an entire life-changing journey had been robbed from her in just a few blows. In spite of this, however, he had taken the girl under his wing (no pun intended) and brought her to Skyworld where he hoped that some training under him could potentially restore at least part of her back.

Her recovery was slow, yet hopeful. Nothing had pleased him more than the day she asked about the other Guardians. He had not yet explained to her who they were and what they meant to her, thinking that such information could potentially overwhelm her. But the fact that she remembered that the Guardians were of concern to her was a start. And he hoped to take things from there.

"Lady Palutena is looking for you," Psyche sighed. Her face twisted into that all too familiar smirk. "You two aren't… doing anything, are you?"

Pit rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Squirt, I thought you'd grow up by now." he had developed this name for her over the past years. He was often teased by his goddess for giving his Guardian what she claimed to be a "pet name."

Psyche giggled. "Look who's talking."

Pit rolled his eyes again, tossing her some hearts as he walked out. "Do me a favor and get us lunch or something. I'll meet you there once business is all done."

Psyche gave a small wave as she walked down the hall. "Don't complain if I get you eggplants again!"

Pit snorted. "Do that and I'll shove you off the nearest cloud." but she was already out of earshot by the time he managed to get that out. Shaking his head and smiling to himself, Pit walked down the opposite way to his lady's throne room.

The first sign that there was something wrong was the lack of His Lady's beautiful voice when he knocked on the door to the throne room. In fact, the voice that answered was quite timid, nothing at all like the voice of Palutena, which was always overflowing with the confidence befit the Goddess of Light. A bubble of fear rose within him as he pushed open the doors and rushed in, His Lady's bow at the ready in case the intruder should spring.

"Put that away, please," the same voice spoke. "I just want to talk…"

Pit's muscles tensed at this request. He was a proficient fighter, and in his many experiences, no opponent would simply "want to talk". More often than not, "want to talk" translated to "ambush".

"Show yourself," Pit said, making sure his voice held command. "Show yourself, stick your weapons on the ground, and _then_ we'll talk."

There was a pause and the reluctant shuffling of feet. Pit watched, his position never shifting as his would-be assailant slowly walked out from behind Palutena's empty throne. He felt his breath catch slightly in surprise as he realized how small and… almost frail this person seemed.

There was no doubt this one was female. Pit could tell just from the shape of her body and the bits of deep brown hair peeking out from the bits of bandages wrapped around her. She was dressed simply: a gray shirt and black cargo pants with a strange little black item sitting atop her leather-gloved wrist. The look in her deep brown eyes was slightly fearful as she regarded the Commander of Palutena's Army. Pit's gazed followed her, never wavering from her face as she walked out. Very slowly, she took off the glove with the strange black box and set it on the floor, lips quivering as she stood up and dressed him.

"I-It's just me, Pit," she spoke, her high voice quavering slightly. "Only me…"

Pit frowned. There was something familiar about this person, yet he was 100% sure that he had never seen her before. Then again, of course, she certainly looked harmless enough. Never taking his eyes of this strange intruder, the angel lowered his bow and placed it on the ground before him. The two faced each other, weaponless, vulnerable to attack at any moment.

"Who are you?" he asked, muscles tensing slightly. If he was going to be weaponless for this, he might as well ready himself for the worst. "How did you get in here? Where is Lady Palutena?"

The girl hesitated before she spoke. "My name… is Sarah. And how I got in here… well, let's just say I have my ways…"

"That doesn't answer my question," Pit said coldly, narrowing his eyes at the figure before him. "How did you get in here? This room has the highest security possible in Skyworld. You wouldn't be able to so much as stick your nose in here without it getting impaled on an arrow." his hands curled into fists. "Where is Lady Palutena?"

"She is fine, Pit," Sarah said quickly. "Please, Pit, I don't know how much time I have left. I-I came here with-"

"_Where is she_?" Pit repeated, his anger rising. "Tell me!"

"She is safe, Pit!" Sarah answered desperately, shaking as her eyes darted back and forth. "Please, Pit, I don't have much time! I'm here to warn you!"

"About what?" Pit spat. "About how my goddess is gone? Gee, thanks, that would have been a Hell lot more helpful-"

"No, it's not that," Sarah interrupted softly. "It's… it's just that soon… very, very soon, something's going to happen, Pit…" her voice dropped to a near whisper. "Something horrible is going to happen…"

"I kinda got that notion when my _goddess_ turned up missing," Pit snapped.

Sarah shook her head. "Pit… even if she were here, she wouldn't be able to help you with what's coming…" her deep brown eyes widened. Pit saw the trace of a strange spark within him. "Gods can't interfere in matters laid down long ago… your actions… your Guardian's actions… your friends' actions… they've all been accumulating over the years… accumulating towards The Storm…"

Pit's fists tightened. "What are you talking about? What actions? What's 'The Storm'?"

Her eyes were shining brighter than anything he had ever seen. They were horrible, seeming to stare at nothing and everything all at once. A cold wind blew into the room, sending shivers down the young angel's spine.

"Answer me!" he said angrily. "What is 'The Storm'? What do Psyche and the Guardians have anything to do with it? Where is Lady Palutena? Who _are_ you?"

"Your world is ending, Pit…" she whispered. As she spoke, the wind seemed to bellow around her, wailing a horrid song of pain and decay. Her eyes shone like twin stars, seeming to grow brighter and brighter with every passing second. "Sooner or later, everything you know will be undone." she seemed to be speaking in two voices, both of them clashing horribly with each other with each word spoken. "Everything you know, everything you've worked for, will be consumed in fire."

The explosion happened behind him.

Pit only had seconds to roll out of the way as one of the colossal pillars surrounding the room suddenly tumbled form their foundations, reeling to the floor. Concrete bit the back of his wings as he did his best to cover himself, gasping in surprise as the floor began cracking beneath him. The angel leaped to his feet, only to leap to the side again as a chunk of ceiling brushed past him. He whipped his head towards the spot where Sarah stood, his hand already reaching for the bow that lay on the floor.

She was gone.

"Palutena dammit!" he cursed, turning on his heel and dashing out of the room.

Pit was immediately met with horror. Monsters not seen since the Uprising War were everywhere, terrorizing innocents and Centurions alike. Whole chunks of buildings were being ripped out and throne, as if the various monsters had somehow gained immense strength. Pit fired several arrows as the monsters spotted him and rushed at him, desperately searching around for anyone he knew.

"There you are!" his dark counterpart, Dark Pit, shouted over the din. Pit watched as his mirror twin leaped off of the roof of a nearby building and pierced a Specknose in the eye. "Where were you? Where's Palutena?"

Pit opened his mouth to answer, but quickly turned to deflect a flying eggplant. "I was in the throne room searching for Palutena. There was this girl there, and-"

"DUCK!" Dark Pit loosed an arrow, which Pit immediately ducked. The squeal of what sounded like a Reapette sounded in the background. "Girl? How the Hell did a girl get in the throne room?"

"I don't know!" Pit spliced his bow into twin blades, slicing through a rain of Octos as they rushed at the two. "The girl said that she is safe, but I really, really doubt that! What happened out here?"

"Hell if I know!" Dark Pit shouted, pulling out a large blue cannon and aiming it at something above Pit's head. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Pit covered his ears as the powerful Poseidon Cannon took out a swarm of Gloomerangs buzzing above him. "These Underworld Army idiots just appeared out of nowhere! There was this wind and all that, but none of us really thought anything of it until an Octos smacked into someone's face."

Pit grit his teeth, weaving easily through various projectiles flying all over the place. "We're going to have to work together to beat these guys! Just like old times!"

"KINDA FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE HERE!" Dark Pit shouted as he blasted the Poseidon Cannon a few more times. "SAVE THE FRIENDSHIP SPEECHES FOR- hey, isn't that your Guardian over there?"

At the mere mention of Psyche, Pit whirled towards where his double was pointing. Sure enough, his brunette Guardian was holding off Underworld enemies with a few daggers, swiping them every which way with inhuman speed. Pride swelled within the Commander of Palutena's Army as he recognized a few knife techniques he had spent long hours helping her to perfect.

Then, something went wrong.

A Specknose flew right up to her face, jarring his Guardian for a moment, but not enough to stop her left hand from coming up and swiping the offending creature right between the eyes. The Specknose squealed and reeled back, black blood dripping from a deep gash. Psyche grinned in triumph as she stepped forward for the kill…

Only for another few Specknoses to ram into her back, sending her tumbling over the edge of the floating Skyworld island.

"NO!"

In a fit of rage, Pit sent a barrage of lightning-fast arrows at the offending Specknoses, eliminating all of them within seconds. Before Dark Pit could so much as comment on this attack, the angel was already on his way. Many enemies attempted to stop him, but all of them fell before the blade of the enraged Commander of Palutena's Army.

"PSYCHE!" he screamed. "PSYCHE!" he dashed towards her, cursing his ineffective wings. He saw her slim white hand slipping, heard her shriek of terror as a piece of Skyworldian concrete fell near her. Pit felt a tremor deep within him as fear bubbled its way up to his stomach. He saw a crack in front of him widen, forming a fissure to block the path to his Guardian.

His Guardian about to fall millions of miles to the ground.

He summoned everything he had, unfurled his wings, and leaped. For a moment, he hovered, his jubilance rising as he conquered his long-time handicap at last. But there was just the smallest breath of wind, the slightest change in direction that stunned him, making his wings useless. He began to plummet, reaching out his arm and grabbing the edge of the fissure just in time.

Around him, Skyworld roared. He could see whole chunks of it falling to the earth. The mortals below would no doubt believe that this was the end at last. That after eons of existence, their time was coming to an end. Pit shed a single tear for those he had cared about all these years before summoning all his strength and hoisting himself onto more stable ground.

His Guardian was still holding on with all she had. But she was slipping. He could see her flailing in fear as her fingers steadily inched closer and closer to the edge. For a moment, all time seemed to freeze as yet another crack appeared, this one slowly making its way towards the area her fingers frantically clung onto. Pit hurled himself forward, desperately reaching out to her just as the crack finished its course.

He was too late.

He reached her, clawed at her, begged her to take his hand. But by the time he was close enough to her, she was already gone. Her fingertips barely brushed his own as her scream filled the air. Pit watched his Guardian fall through the clouds below, shaking in shock and misery. Tears welled up in those eyes of sky blue as the tiny figure of his Guardian disappeared. Her horrified screams echoed in his ears.

Skyworld was falling. Centurions lay dead or dying. Many of the Skyworldians had either been captured by monsters or killed. Dark Pit, whom he had last seen fighting desperately against numerous enemies, was nowhere to be found. His home, his friends… they were all being ripped away from him. Ripped away and burned in the flames of hate and fury.

He didn't care. His Guardian, the girl who had bourn his soul seven years ago, and whom he had watched over for the past seven years was gone. He had allowed her to slip through his fingers.

Pit reared back his head and roared.


End file.
